Stolen Eclipse
by TreasuredHeart
Summary: Isabella Swan has always wanted to be a pirate. When an opportunity arises, she disguises herself as a man and joins the crew of the biggest ship on the ocean. But when conflicting emotions for a certain pirate captain gets her in trouble, will she be able to conquer all and stay alive? Character names all Stephenie Meyer's. I do not own them! AU.
1. Chapter 1

BPOV

Clutching my shawl to my chest, I creep down the wooden stairs, careful not to make a sound. My parents are asleep, and sneaking out of the house requires intense stealth, a skill that I don't have. This is the third time I have tried sneaking out, but every time father catches me because I somehow always end up tumbling down the stairs headfirst and collapsing at the bottom in a heap of pain.

However, this time I make it to the bottom of the stairs and to the door without so much as a creak. I pull the door open and slide through the opening before pulling it closed behind me.

The full moon casts a sparkling light on the calm ocean. A light breeze tickles my bare shoulders and, pulling on my shawl, I start across the yard and towards the dock. I follow the dirt road in the opposite direction that leads to the center of town and let the moon lead me through the dark.

When I reach the large, wooden dock, I find my best friend Jacob Black sitting at the end, his bare feet splashing in the water and his pant legs rolled up his calves. I sit next to him and he throws an arm over my shoulder.

"You made it this time." He murmurs with a smirk. His tan face reflects the moon's light.

"Surprisingly. I decided to not use the fourth step. That one usually sends me plummeting."

He chuckles. "What are your plans for tomorrow, Bella?"

"I have to meet with Michael Newton. But then I can see you."

"Why do you have to meet with Newton?" He asks, his eyes narrowing.

"He has been asking my father for my hand." I mutter quietly.

Jacob's arm tenses around me . He gives me a penetrating look. "You don't want to marry him, do you?"

I shrug. "Father said he would be a good candidate because he is wealthy and handsome. Not many men want me, Jake. The least I could do is talk with him."

His eyes return to the water but his hold on me doesn't lessen. He's quiet a moment. "I want you, Bella." He whispers.

I laugh. Jake has been my best friend since we could walk. Our fathers are good friends. Although Jacob is handsome, I have never thought of him as anything more than a friend. I suddenly feel exposed in my thin nightgown. If Jacob weren't my friend, my parents would surely have a heart attack if they knew I was out alone with a boy wearing only my nightgown. "Jacob, we're friends."

"I know, Bella. But I would treat you better than any other man could."

That was true. Jacob would never hurt me, pressure me into anything, and would most likely dote on me hand and foot. However, I could never love Jacob in that way. He is too safe.

His feet splash cool water on my bare legs. "I know you want adventure, Bella. What could be more fun than spending the rest of your life with your best friend? I know everything about you. We wouldn't have to waste time getting acquainted."

I shake my head. "Stop, Jake." I shut my eyes and shrug his arm off of me. Whenever Jacob gets like this, I begin to feel uncomfortable, like he's trying to pressure me.

When I open my eyes, his have gone cold. "Are you still pining after that pirate?" He spits out the words in a biting rage.

My stomach twists at the memory. I could not have been more than seven years old when I saw my first pirate. I was sitting in the living room reading when the knock came. My mother was seated next to me, carefully pulling a needle through the cumbersome hose of my stockings. She had decided to fix the hole in the toe instead of simply throwing them away. When the knock came, she called for my father to answer the door, and when he did, we were met by young boy wielding a sword.

The boy, possibly only about ten years old, demanded for our money and jewelry. He was dressed in black boots, dirty beige britches and a white shirt that billowed out from where it was roughly tucked into his pants. The pirate had a knowing smirk on his face as if he knew something we weren't privy to. If it weren't for the sharp hunk of metal in his hand and the pistol in his waistband, my father would have undoubtedly arrested the boy.

However, the way he had commanded a grown man to give him what he wanted made me crave for that kind of power and confidence. I have always been in lower status of my parents, forced to do as they demanded.

Along with his confidence, his bronze hair and boyish wink at me before he disappeared has kept him in my mind for the last eleven years.

Jacob has known about it since it happened. He knows I want to become a pirate. He knows I want to marry that boy, whomever he was.

I only nod in response to his question. Although Michael is no pirate, I should not live with my parents the rest of my life and dream of a strong man to come take me away. Because it is not going to happen.

"When are you going to get over it?" He asks, pulling his feet out of the water and facing me. "When are you going to realize that there is a man sitting right in front of you willing to give you an adventure?" His brown eyes are ablaze with frustration and passion.

"It is not the same."

"Oh yeah?" He grabs my long braid of brown hair and twists it in his hands. "I can't believe you would want to do such a disgraceful act as piracy. They are thieves and murderers. You are better than them."

I recoil from his words. "But they are strong and they have fun. What is wrong with having fun and living dangerously?"

His eyes blaze with anger and he yanks on my hair, causing me to gasp in pain. "They are low class people without any morals. They would not hesitate to hurt you if you came into sight."

I wrench out of his grasp. I know he is right. Pirates have been known to defile women and take wenches to bed just for the fun of it. However, their cruelty does not repulse me like it should. It entices me. I want to be a pirate, but I know they would never let a woman on board, especially a weak, clumsy one like me. I want more than anything to be strong.

Meeting his dark eyes, I narrow mine. "You should not judge people without knowing them first."

"Quit being so dumb and childish, Isabella. Wake up and stop dreaming of something that is never going to happen."

It is as if he just slapped me. My eyes burn with tears as I stand up. "You know what else is never going to happen?" I ask him. He just looks at me with cold eyes. "You marrying me."

With that, I take off down the dock and towards my home waiting in the darkness.

{~}

Lying in my bed, I stare up at the white ceiling and think about my conversation with Jacob. I so desperately wish I could take back what I said to him. I doubt our friendship will last much longer. I have always known he has had feelings for me, he has told me enough times, but I never knew he actually wanted to marry me. Why would he want to marry me? I am only Isabella Swan, daughter of constable Lord Charles Swan and Lady Renée Dwyer, the daughter of Baron Dwyer of Forskville, England.

Besides the money and high title, there is nothing special about me. William Black, Jacob's father, is cousin to the prince of France. Jake could get any woman he wanted. But for some reason he wants me.

In the morning, I appear in the dining room feeling like death from my lack of sleep and find my best girl friend Angela Weber and my mother chatting while the maids busily place plates of food on the table. After the disastrous meeting with Jacob last night, seeing Angela is a welcome distraction.

My best friend smiles at me before digging into her plate of eggs and smoked bacon. I sit across from her. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to take you out before Lord Newton arrives." She smiles around her glass of milk and gives me a wink.

My mother smiles at me. "Good morning, Isabella. Before you leave, your father wants to speak with you in his office."

Fear grips my stomach, prompting me to halt my bacon eating. Does he know I left last night? From the sincere smile mother is giving me, I doubt he knows. Surely he would have told her.

After finishing my breakfast, I change into a soft pink dress and visit my father in his office.

"Sit down, Isabella." Once I have a seat, he places his hands on the table and gives me a small smile. I relax. He is not angry. "So Michael is calling this evening." I sit up. Panic burns the back of my throat. I only thought he was coming over to talk, not to actually express his intent to marry me. I have only spoken to Michael once, and that was while we danced at a party. The conversation only lasted for one song before I was whisked away by another man.

Although Michael is handsome and rich, something about him makes me uneasy. My conversation with Jacob rings in my ears _"Are you still pining after that pirate?" _

I am. I can not marry Michael knowing I want another man. It would not be fair for either of us. However, the pirate is only a small figure in my past. I do not know his name, nor whether he is alive or not. I have not seen him since the day he robbed us.

My father is peering at me expectantly. As a constable and the commander of the Guards, his job requires little expression of emotion other than determination. Seeing him smile makes me feel guilty. I cannot let him down.

"Father…I…..I do not wish to marry Lord Newton." His face falls so I continue. "However, if this is what you want, then I shall do it for the family."

My father is thoughtful a moment. "Good. He will bring a respectable reputation and I have no doubt he will treat you like the lady you are."

With that, I am dismissed from his office. I find Angela waiting for me on the porch. "How did it go?"

"I guess I am going to marry Michael."

Her face turns down into a frown. Angela's brown eyes meet mine before she starts walking down the path into town. "I am to marry Lord Eric. Surely Michael cannot be worse than him."

I choose not to respond. Angela knows just as much about me as Jacob does, but while Jacob does not understand my dreams, Angela does. She knows my pirate dream and she accepts it, regardless how crazy it is.

She changes the subject. "Did you see Jacob last night?"

"Yeah. We got in an argument."

"About what?"

"He wants to marry me." At my words she freezes in place and spins around to face me with a surprised look.

"He finally admitted it?" She gasps.

I glare at her in shock. "You knew?"

"Everyone knew, Bella." I'm quiet, so she keeps walking. "Why did you argue? I thought you liked him. He would be a much better alternative than Lord Newton."

"You know why we argued."

We finally reach the center of town. "The pirate?" She murmurs. I nod. "Come on, Bella. I know this is your dream, but you have to realize that you have no clue who that boy was. What are your chances of meeting him?"

Zero to none.

The town is filled with many people hanging out and talking, wenches wandering around the streets looking for a taker and merchants selling goods from various stalls. The pubs are overflowing with midday drinkers and relentless chatter fill the streets.

Angela and I end up in our favorite clothing store. Along with men's clothing, the boutique has dresses as well. We love to come here because its dresses are hand made and simply beautiful. The shop keeper Laurent greets us warmly as we enter.

My best friend spots a beautiful red gown with sequins covering the bodice. She fingers the sequins with a look of admiration on her face. "It is so beautiful."

"You should get it."

She shakes her head. "No, no." We move on through the shop. "So you turned down Jacob, your best friend, for a man you hardly know? And this is only because you want to marry a pirate? I am confused. I don't understand you, Bella."

"You want to marry a pirate?" We turn to see Laurent standing behind us with a curious look on his face. His olive skin tone, brooding eyes and dark hair make him seem dangerous, but Laurent has always been very kind to us.

I know I can trust him, but my cheeks turn red in embarrassment. "Not in so many words. I want to _be_ a pirate."

His eyebrows raise in curiosity. "Is that so?"

I nod under his penetrating gaze. "Yes."

"Sad to say, Isabella, but they would never allow a woman on a pirate ship unless she were there to serve their every pleasure." His voice comes out silkily. My skin crawls at the thought of having to please men just to live out my dream. Why can't women be treated equally? We are not here to serve men.

"He is right, Bella." Angela acknowledges.

"I wish I were a man!" I groan. "I want to be strong and to be feared. I want to have an adventure."

Laurent nods in understanding. "That does sound enticing. But what do you suppose to do? Cut off all your hair, dress like a man and beg the next pirate captain that walks through this town to be a member of his crew?"

My eyes widen. Why hadn't I thought of that before?

Angela shakes her head. "No, Bella! Your hair is beautiful and pirates are dangerous."

"But Angela! This could finally be my chance! You know I have always wanted this. I am not happy here."

She looks hurt by my words but she nods in understanding. "I don't want you to have to marry Lord Newton. But this is dangerous. And what if the captain doesn't let you be on his ship? You will be left with short hair!"

"I have always wanted short hair."

There is a commotion outside when a man bursts in to the shop, breathless. "Laurent! A pirate ship has been spotted at sea."


	2. Chapter 2

**EPOV**

"Raise the sails!"

Seth, one of the youngest on the crew, salutes me. "Yes, cap'n."

I roll my eyes. Seth still hasn't grasped the concept that I am not my father and I don't require such trivial gestures as a salute, but I appreciate it anyway. As the interim captain of the biggest pirate ship, _Éclipse_, it's my job to keep order and dish out the chores, something I am still getting used to. However, if most of the crew continues to salute me like I am my father, I may just have to set them straight.

Chests heaving and muscles taut, the crew yanks on the ropes. There are three pulling in a line on each rope; each sail is rather quite large, so three men to a rope is the required muscle it takes to close them. Salty ocean mist sprays us as we rock back and forth on the tumultuous waves.

The port ahead of us is visible in the midday light, reflecting the shiny rays of the sun that's to our backs. Never will I get tired of the feeling of a successful month out at sea. Whenever we return to this port it signifies our start of a new voyage. Forksville is where we usually stock up on food, clothing and other supplies necessary for months at sea. Rarely have we pillaged this town. We don't need police baring down our backs while we're trying to stock up on much needed supplies. Father has forbidden us from thieving here.

However, he doesn't know that I, his only son, have pillaged this town behind his back before.

As we near the dock, I can make out the familiar house sitting amongst a grove of trees. It has two stories and a porch running around its exterior. The brick wall, meant to keep intruders out, looms breathlessly in the foggy mist. It looks the same it did eleven years ago when I first saw it. Behind the house, the peaks of the town pop out in welcoming.

When we dock and set out the plank, Jasper finds me in the rush of excitement, his honey-blonde hair disheveled. "Alice is determined that something massive is going to happen today." Behind him, little Alice is busy polishing her sword with the hem of her shirt. The excitement on her face is evident. "Are you visiting with your father today?"

I nod. The last time we were here, my father announced his term of absence and his intent to make me in charge while he was gone. He asked me that the next time I was here we would meet and discuss some things. I only hope he doesn't wish to take the role of captain back.

He gives me a meager smile. "Good luck."

My crew empties the deck and fills up the dock. They all rush towards town, their excitement barely being able to be contained.

"Are you coming?" I turn to see Rosalie watching me with her always-pensive brown eyes. Her wavy blonde hair is pulled back with a red bandana.

"Yes. I'm just thinking."

"About your father?" I nod. "Well don't worry. You are an amazing captain and he wouldn't even dream of taking that away from you. If he questions your authority, you have an entire crew to vouch for you." She gives me a smile before taking my arm in hers. "Come on. Let's go find Emmett before he wreaks havoc."

{~}

**BPOV**

I spend most of my savings on a majority of the clothes in Laurent's arsenal. I buy shirts, britches, boots, hats and even some belts and undergarments. The clothes are a little big on me because they were made for men, but they'll have to do. Plus, I cannot be wearing tight shirts, considering I am a woman.

Angela paces nervously as I pay for my things. She's biting on her thumbnail and muttering about how this is a crazy idea.

"Why don't you come with me?" I offer.

She stops midstride and simply gapes at me. "I would rather not get myself killed. Besides, someone has to stay behind and tell your parents that you've run off with pirates." She spits out the word pirate similarly to how Jacob did last night. I turn my back to her.

"Laurent, you wouldn't perhaps have a pair of scissors?"

"Bella! You can't cut your hair! You can just wear a wig." Angela bargains.

"It's long term, Ang. I don't want it to accidently fall off. Plus, it would become itchy after a while."

Laurent produces a pair of scissors and offers to cut my hair himself.

"No! Let me do it." Angela sighs.

I sit down on a stool and hold my breath as she stands over me. "Jesus, Bella. You have officially gone insane. What will Jacob think?"

"I don't care what he thinks."

She gathers my hair up in one hand and poises the scissors for action. I hear the snip of the scissors closing and I feel as my head suddenly becomes much lighter. I smile.

"Okay, it is at your shoulders. You can just tell your parents you decided to get a hair cut." Angela's hopeful voice rings through the shop's silence. However, the commotion outside gets louder, prompting my stomach to erupt in butterflies of nervousness.

"No, I want it to be as short as Jacob's hair is." His hair is cut so it falls down on his forehead, but the back is sheared short and choppy. It's a common cut among the young boys in town.

"No, Bella. Come on."

I shoot a look at Laurent and he takes the scissors from Angela's grasp. As he works his magic, I sit with bated breath. This is finally my dream coming true. I am going to become a pirate today. I cannot help my smile when Laurent finally finishes and hands me a little mirror to check his handy work.

If it weren't for my big, innocent emerald green eyes and plump red lips, I would look just like a man. But I can pull it off. My hair falls down over my forehead in chocolate waves, framing my face and making my jawbone appear more defined.

Running a hand through my short locks, I peer over at Angela who doesn't look like she's going to have a heart attack anymore. Instead, she looks hopeful. "You are one handsome man, Isabella Swan."

I give her my best smoldering look and she playfully bats her eyes. "Okay, go get dressed. And make sure you pin those ladies down. You won't fool anyone with those." She points a finger at my chest. I roll my eyes at her comment but listen nonetheless.

While I am in the back getting dressed, the little bell on the door chimes and I hear Laurent greet the guest. "Jasper! It has been so long. How're the seas treating you?"

I freeze in place. Is it a pirate? I quickly wrap my chest with a piece of stretchy fabric Laurent uses for clothes and I pull a white shirt over my head. Clad in black britches, black boots and a cap covering my short hair, I emerge from the back of the store to find a blonde haired boy chatting with Laurent.

Once Angela spots me, she gives me thumbs up in approval.

The boy, Jasper, has a sword attached to his hip and he's dressed similarly to the first pirate I've ever seen; and now me. However, his hair is too light for him to be my pirate. But he is definitely a pirate. His skin is tan and his muscles are rather large.

Just as I start to make my way towards them, a short woman with spiky black hair and expressive green eyes stops me. She looks at me hopefully.

"Do you work here?"

"No." As soon as I say it, I realize my voice sounds way too high and soft to be a man's. I cough and say it again, this time deeper. "I mean. No. I don't. Sorry."

The girl gives me a silly look before moving on. That's when I notice the sword at her hip. I follow her through the store.

"Psst."

She turns to look at me with curious eyes. Whispering, I ask, "Are you a pirate?" She seems surprised by my blunt question, but nods. Hope surges in my chest. "I want to be a pirate. Can you help me?"

The pixie breaks out into a huge smile showing off her perfect teeth. "Jasper?" She shouts across the store. He responds with a muffled 'yeah'. "Remember when I told you something massive was going to happen today? Well I think I just found it!" She turns to me and reaches out her hand. "My name is Alice Brandon. Pirate at your service."

I take her dainty hand. "I'm I-" I catch myself. "I am Isaac Swain."

Jasper emerges through the racks of clothes and eyes me questioningly. "Who's this?" He asks Alice.

"This is Isaac Swain. He wants to be a pirate."

I smile shyly at the handsome man. He chuckles lightly. "Well, we don't hear that every day." He is thoughtful a moment. "I guess we'll have to take it up with the captain, see if we can score you a place on our crew." I stand up straighter, a large smile overcoming my face "He is busy now, so we won't be able to ask him until later. Why don't you come to the ship around twilight and we'll see then?"

"Great. Thank you."

They chuckle. As I turn to leave, I hear Alice murmur under her breath. "I like him."

{~}

**EPOV**

"Edward, my boy!" My father throws his arms around me and I hug him back just as eagerly. I hadn't known how much I had missed him until I saw him tucked in the corner of the pub while he thoughtfully watched as people walked by. It was something he would always advise me to do. "Always be aware of your surroundings." He would say. "Never let someone sneak up on you because most likely they're asking for trouble and you don't have time for trouble."

"How're you, father?"

He waves away my question with a flick of his hand, giving me a condescending look. "Me? How are you?! Captain Edward!" He smiles at me jovially and I laugh. Always has my father been in good spirit. It's probably why most of the crew loves him. However, his good attitude doesn't stop him from being a ruthless pirate captain when he needs to be.

A waitress comes around and asks us if we want drinks. After we both order a pint of rum, I turn to my father. "I am great. I cannot tell you how much I am appreciative that you made me captain."

He shakes off my comment with another wave of his hand. "No one I trust more than my own son." He shoots me a smile before taking a swig of the alcohol the waitress set in front of him.

The pub is filled with raucous men who tease the scantily clad wenches and shoot my father and me fearful looks. Our reputation of being barbarous pirates has spread around like wildfire in the small town. From being a pirate his entire life, my father is something of a legend. And I am his merciless son.

Suddenly, father becomes serious. "I heard from my good friend Lord Weber that there was a recent uproar down in Clark. He said three Guards were shot and dumped into the ocean by pirates." He turns to me with a critical eye.

I visibly tremble under his gaze. Never have I been so weak than when my father has his disappointed look trained on me. It's hard for me to meet his eyes, but when I do, they're not as angry as I expected. "The Guards charged the ship with their swords drawn. We had no choice but to take action."

He nods thoughtfully, mulling this over. "Be careful, Edward. They are already after us because we're thieves, we don't need them adding murderers to the list."

I understand what he is saying. But we have killed more people than we can count and have always gotten away with it. They know that we have killed before. I doubt the Guards could go against the toughest crew on the sea and win.

"You know I am always careful."

Father drinks more of his rum and I take a hearty swig as well. "I am proud of you, Edward. I want you to continue in my place." My heart soars at the news. I have always dreamed of being captain of my very own ship; it's a dream come true. To make it all better, I'm surrounded by a band of brothers whom I've known my entire life. "However, be more careful. I don't want slaughters from Clark to reach me in Forksville. Understand?"

"I do."

"Great. Now stop lazing and go help your crew."

{~}

**BPOV**

Coming out of the shop, I accidently bump into someone's strong chest.

"Excuse me. Sorry."

I look up to see Jacob staring down at me in disbelief. "Bella?" Panicked, I take off down the street, but I don't get far before Jacob wrenches on my arm and pulls me to face him. "What the hell, Bella? What did you do to your hair?" He pulls my cap off and stares at my short locks incredulously. "And what are you wearing?"

I pull out of his grasp. "Let go of me."

"Have you gone insane?"

"That's what I asked." Angela pipes in. She's standing with her arms crossed over her chest.

Jacob turns on her. "You knew about this?"

"She helped." I say. Jacob's eyes become cold. I adjust the bag of clothes on my shoulder and slowly back away. Before I know it, Jake's eyes glow with understanding.

"You can't tell me you plan to join the pirate ship." All I do is smirk at him. This causes him to roar with anger. "Are you stupid? You're going to get yourself killed! Piracy is illegal! You will be hanged! Or worse!" I don't know what could be worse than being hanged, but I am willing to find out. I'm ready to be strong like those men. I'm ready for adventure.

"Leave me alone, Jacob. You can't change my mind."

People in the street are starting to notice our argument and my face burns with shame at this wild display of emotion. Jacob grabs my arm again and drags me down the street. "Let go of me!"

He pulls me into an alley and presses me against the wall of a building. He's so close I can feel the heat radiating off of him. My best friend's eyes pierce into me; they're begging and passionate. Vaguely, I wonder where Angela is, but with Jacob pressing his strong body against mine I can't concentrate on anything.

"Don't go." It comes out as a whisper, but the plea is like thunder to my ears.

"I have to."

He shakes his head angrily. "Stay here with me. I will give you everything you could dream of."

I shake my head. "Please let me go." I plead.

"Don't join those bloodthirsty monsters."

"They are not monsters, Jacob. You are the one scaring me."

His eyes become sad. "I love you."

"Jacob!" Angela's desperate shriek comes from down the alley. From the way it looks, it probably seems like he's taking advantage of me. But his hands are firmly placed by his side, and I am able to slide out from under him. I rush over to Angela and she tucks me into her arms. "Are you alright?"

I nod. "I'm fine. Where's my hat?" She hands me the cap Jacob had yanked off my head, I pick up my bag of clothes that got dropped on the ground, and we leave Jacob alone in the alley, his confession still ringing in my ears.


	3. Chapter 3

**BPOV**

I manage to successfully avoid my parents all day, along with Michael Newton. I feel a little guilty for having to skip our meeting, but I know he would not find it charming if I showed up with hair that resembled his.

I can't imagined how worried mother and father must be. They do not deserve such a rambunctious daughter, but it is time I start living for myself. I hope they do not hate me for what I must do.

As the sun sinks lower in to the horizon, casting an orange glow over the town, I bid farewell to my best friend and start through the streets on my way to the gigantic pirate ship looming in the distance.

I can see its grand sails and its lookout tower stretching into the sky as if reaching for the clouds. I know becoming a pirate will be an irrevocable decision, but this is what I have wanted almost my entire life, and I cannot go back now. I will miss my parents, Angela and Jacob, but I know that I will make new friends and family. I want to feel the ocean wind on my face as we fight other pirate ships for dominance, slashing their throats and stealing their stolen gold.

We'll track down buried treasure and discover secret islands. I'll fall in love with a handsome crew member and we'll be together forever, living out the ultimate adventure.

Giddy with excitement, I make it past the last shop and out onto my little dirt road before I'm accosted on the arm for the third time today and yelp in fear.

"Shh. It's me." I turn to find Jacob. Instead of wearing his usual uniform of a white shirt, vest and beige britches, he is wearing a similar ensemble as me. He also has a bag slung over one shoulder.

"What on earth are you doing? This is the third time today that you have manhandled me and I am not appreciative. I have reason to call the police."

He cracks a small smile. "I am coming with you."

I start in surprise. "What? Why?"

"I cannot let you walk into a lion's den all by yourself. You are my best friend, and if it's an adventure you want, then it's an adventure you're going to get."

"Although that is a sweet gesture, you cannot come with me. This is something I have to do on my own." I start to spin around when he catches me again.

"What kind of man would I be if I let you go alone?"

"A man that listens."

He sighs. With a shake of his head, he says, "I am coming with you whether you like it or not. Someone needs to protect you out there. And it's going to be me, since apparently I can't reason with you not to go."

"You're right. You can't. And you cannot come with me. This is my dream, not yours."

Glaring at me with his chocolate eyes, he rubs his head in exasperation. "You are my dream, Bella."

My heart clenches at his words. Jacob is everything to me. He has been the kindest man I have ever known, besides my father. He's always been there when I needed him, he's taken care of me and he even taught me how to skip rocks on the ocean. But he knows that I don't want him and I am getting tired of having to tell him so. I don't want to hurt him anymore, but I have no choice.

"Jacob, you deserve someone who will give you all of her heart. I cannot give that to you."

"Then you don't have to! I will be perfectly fine with just being able to love you forever and take care of you."

Why would anyone want to put themselves through that? "That wouldn't be very fair for either of us." I sigh and, remembering why I was here, I start down the path and towards the harbor. I know he's following me, so I say, "Go home, Jacob. Let me do this alone. If at some point I come back and you're still waiting for me and I decide I'm ready, then maybe. But I need to do this." I hate having to lie to him, but I see no other choice.

His steps falter. "I need to go and see that you're safe."

"I can take care of myself."

"I can't let you go."

"I know. But you have to." He's still following me, so I stop and turn back around. Facing him, I give him my saddest look I can muster. "I will miss you, but this is important to me. I will see you again one day."

This time, he doesn't follow me, but instead I hear him call into the wind. "I'll be waiting."

{~}

It is the largest ship I have ever seen. In the fading darkness I can make out four levels, including the deck, large beams with millions of ropes hanging down from them and a lookout nest at the highest point. It's marvelous and just how I pictured it in my imagination all these years. I can't imagine how something so gigantic can so easily glide across water and not sink from its weight.

On the dock, there are several men hoisting chests onto their shoulders and carrying them up a long stretch of wood that leads directly to the deck of the ship. I wait patiently as the rough-looking men cart each chest one by one onto the ship and disappear through a set of double doors to the left.

Once the final chest is removed from the dock, I make my way up the steep incline of the plank and step onto the ship. The deck is large. In the center is a large wooden mast extending upwards into the sky, a sail rolled up tightly at the top. A rope ladder extends from the railing of either side of the ship up to the top, where the crows nest is visible in the darkness. To my left, there is a large platform with a staircase on either side. Underneath the platform, there's a set of painted red double doors that the crew were taking their supplies in to.

To my right, there's another platform that mirrors the other one, except it's taller; more stairs are leading up to it. But this time, I can make out a wooden steering wheel at its center. Instead of a set of double doors, there's three single doors beneath the platform.

I'm just about to go look for someone when Alice and Jasper appear out of the set of double doors. They're chatting easily when they spot me.

"Isaac! You came!" Alice exclaims, rushing over to me and pulling me into a hug.

Jasper shakes my hand. "I'll alert Edward."

"Edward?"

Alice smiles excitedly. "Yes, our captain. Don't worry, he's the best."

Jasper knocks on the center door to the right. There's a gruff "what" and I suddenly feel extremely nervous. I have heard pirate captains are mean, ruthless old men with hooks for hands, patches over an eye and pegs for legs. I am not exactly the most ideal candidate for a pirate so I only hope he doesn't turn me down. Or worse. Kill me.

"The boy we told you about has arrived." Jasper yells through the door. There's some rustling coming from behind the door and Jasper gives me an almost apologetic smile.

Finally, the door swings open and I'm met with the most captivating golden-topaz eyes I have ever seen.

The impossibly beautiful boy is slender, but muscular. His hair is a crazy array of mess atop his head, its bronze color almost emitting its own light source. The man's facial features are perfect and angular, with high cheekbones, a strong jaw line and full lips. His hair falls over his forehead in delicate waves and the waves continue down his neck where they stop at his collar.

At another look, I realize his eyes are not gold, but green.

"Hello."

His voice sends velvet tremors through my body.

"So you're the lad who so bravely asked to become a pirate."

I stand a little straighter. This is my time to show him I'm serious. His eyes are staring at me, challenging me.

"That's right."

"What makes you think you got what it takes to be one?"

I start at his question. He's right. What makes me think I'm capable? I'm just a petit woman standing on a giant pirate ship, pretending to be a man. How am I going to pull this off? The three pirates are staring at me, waiting for my response. I start to panic. I have no idea. "Um.."

"Because by the looks of you it seems you haven't eaten in weeks."

I look down at my small frame. He's right, again. I appear to be extremely malnourished compared to him.

"I think he's got spirit." Alice spits out the word 'spirit'. She's got a dark look of excitement on her face. Her eyes are narrowed and a small smirk is spread across her face, making her seem almost sinister.

"Well, what do you have to say?" Edward prompts.

"I think you've just got to see for yourself."

The captain shoots a look at Jasper and Alice before ushering me into the door he just came out of. I follow him reluctantly.

He shuts the door behind me and I'm left alone with him. The room we're in appears to be his bedroom/ office space. Along the far wall, there's a large bed with a red comforter and dozens of large pillows stacked up. It looks fit for a king.

To the left of the bed, there is a large wooden desk with papers scattered all over the surface. Along the opposite wall there are several plush chairs around a small table. There are sconces full of fire all around the room, casting an ember glow throughout the space.

Edward sits behind his desk and ushers me to sit across from him.

He gazes at me curiously. "Isaac, is it?"

I nod. "Yes."

He nods thoughtfully. The captain places his hand over his chin as he leans back in his chair. "There are nearly 700 crew members on this ship." I internally gasp at the large number. This must be bigger than I thought. "Almost all of us have been trained our entire lives for life at sea." He continues. "Each one of us has specific duties to come together and make this ship sail smoothly. If one person were to mess up, it would compromise everyone else."

I gulp. I hadn't thought about that.

"If you think you have what it takes, then we'd be happy to have you." I smile at his words. I can't believe my dreams are coming true. "But, there are some things you must know. For starters, this is not an easy job and it will not come easily to you in a day. It takes years of training. The things we do," he pauses, leaning forward, "the things we see are not easy. This is life, and it's a brutal reality."

I nod, understanding. Nothing he can say will make me want to change my mind. This is what I signed up for, and this is what I want.

Edward opens a drawer in his desk and pulls out a jug containing a dark amber liquid. He grabs a mug off of the shelf behind him, pours it full of the liquid and places it in front of me. "Drink."

I stare at the man in shock. He's going to force me to drink a mug of alcohol? "Why?" I ask.

"Bottoms up!" He says. "We can't let you on the ship if you can't hold your alcohol. Drink it all at once."

I watch his green eyes for insincerity. However, he seems quite serious. But what kind of test is this? I have never drank alcohol. My parents think it is only acceptable for men. Surely I will fail.

Staring down at the mug in front of me, nerves tickle the back of my throat. Surely, once I drink this he will know I am not a man. Even Jacob, whom is a very respected man in society, could probably master this test. But I cannot.

"I don't want to."

The captain raises his eyebrows in shock. His mouth forms a slight 'o' shape. But the surprise quickly turns to anger. "You will if you want to be on this ship. Drink." He commands.

I take another glance at the alcohol. This is the only thing standing in my way of becoming a pirate. Picking up the mug, I put the glass up to my lips and recoil at its bitter smell. Closing my eyes, I tip the glass back and let the sour liquid slide down my throat. I start to choke, but keep forcing the liquid down. Nothing is standing in my way.

Finally I finish it and I look up to see Edward nodding in approval. I begin to feel lightheaded. I place the mug back on the desk and clutch the arm rest of the seat to support myself. He eyes me critically for several moments. I fidget under his gaze.

Finally, he nods his head and speaks. "Very well. Before you can officially become one of us, you must sign a set of regulations."

I almost cheer at having passed the alcohol test. However, if it weren't for the churning in my stomach and the bitter taste in my throat, I may have been more easygoing at the thought of rules. "Regulations?" All my life have I lived with rules. Women are supposed to be proper and follow the utmost social etiquette. We mustn't laugh too loudly or sit with our legs uncrossed. My mother would remind me of these rules every day, even if we weren't expected to go out or entertain guests. It was what I have lived with for eighteen years.

My dream of becoming a pirate was accompanied by the hope to be able to ditch social codes and proper lady etiquette. I wanted to act like a man or someone who isn't constricted by harsh expectations, but it looks like those dreams are foolish.

Edward's green eyes pierce through me like a hot knife slicing through butter. They're trained directly on me, roaming my face in rapid succession. It's like he can see right through my façade. "Yes. Us pirates are not allowed to do what ever we want. We have a strict conduct and if anyone should break it, the punishment is death."

It's as if he's purposefully trying to crush my dreams.

He rustles around in his drawer and pulls out a large piece of parchment that is worn with age.

"We follow the same charter the original men of this ship did, and everyone on this ship has signed this."

He places the paper in front of me and I glance down at it. The rules at the top are faded and written in harsh script, so I have to strain to be able to read it.

_I. Every man on board shall obey orders given to them by either the captain or quartermaster._

_II. Anyone keeping secret of attempt to desert will be marooned. He may take only a flask of gunpowder, a bottle of water, a gun and some shot._

_III. The punishment for hitting a man is 40 lashes on the bare back._

_IV. Gambling with cards and money is forbidden._

_V. The compensation for losing a limb is 800 silver dollars._

_VI. Anyone lying, stealing or fighting on board will have his ears and nose slit open and set ashore._

_VII. The penalty for bringing a woman aboard in disguise is death. _

_VIII. Everyone may vote on all important decisions. _

My resolve crumbles as I read through the list of harsh punishments. I'm not so sure about my decision anymore. The wonderful, picturesque vision I had of pirate life has fallen off a cliff. But, I freeze when I read number seven. It seems to only be talking about if men bring women on board, not if women bring themselves on board. But nevertheless, my stomach sinks with heavy fear.

Death. What have I gotten myself in to?

Holding my breath and not meeting his eyes, I quickly sign the parchment as if I'm signing over my soul to the devil. If the devil looked like _Adonis_. Edward whisks it away. "Very well. Welcome aboard, lad. Jasper'll give you the tour and get you accommodated. We'll discuss more tomorrow."

Jasper is waiting for me out on the deck. Alice is no where to be found, and the rest of the deck is void of anyone else, either. With nearly 700 crew members you would think you'd see more of them.

"He said you'd give me a tour and get me accommodated."

The blonde-haired man gives me a warm smile. "Great. Welcome aboard."

And my fate is sealed.


	4. Chapter 4

**EPOV**

As I watched Isaac retreat, I realized what a big mistake I had just made. Unlike most of the men on my ship, Isaac is undersized and lacking any muscle. He doesn't appear like he'll be able to hold his own, and that's very important on a pirate ship, especially one with as much caliber as _Éclipse._

My father left this ship in my hands because he trusted my judgment. After having grown up on this ship my entire life, I've seen it all: loss, death, murder, destruction, and injuries so severe they make a grown man weep. I know how to run a ship and I know how to destroy anyone that comes into my path. I have a reputation of being one of the best captains on the ocean, but letting a child join has probably just ruined it.

The life of a pirate is a vicious world, and boys like Isaac don't belong. The only reason I let him join was because of his eyes. I've seen those green eyes before. But I have no clue where. If it weren't for his familiar, trusting gaze, I wouldn't have let him on. Not in a million years. He can't handle it and he's just going to get himself killed.

Adding him to my crew is just going to be a burden on all of us. Especially Alice, whom I appointed as boatswain. It's her job to supervise all activities on the ship, which means she has to train him. Training him will completely consume her time, so Jasper will have to overtake her duties as well as his.

We all work together so well. We've worn a fine groove of perfect, in-synch collaboration that comes from years of knowing each other and perfecting the art of piracy. However, my decision to allow Isaac on my ship has compromised the delicately woven web of hard work and determination.

I've gone insane.

"You're being overly dramatic." Alice complains.

I shoot a look at Rosalie who is poised at the end of my bed, her arms crossed across her chest. She doesn't like the new addition to the crew, and for good reason. Her father, along with mine, was one of the first pirates on this ship. She's extremely adamant that we should stick with the ways of the original men. That is: let no man aboard who can't hold his own.

Emmett, who's busy playing around with the globe on my bookshelf, grunts. "He just needs to buck up. He'll be fighting with the big guys in no time. With Alice's help, he'll be the best swordsman on the sea." He gives us a large grin.

I'm dubious. Alice's face shines with pride at Emmett's compliment. The little sprite looks innocuous, but really she's the best fighter I've ever seen. She uses her pixie-like stature as an advantage instead of a disadvantage. However, even with Alice's guidance I doubt Isaac will be as good as the men (or women) who have been wielding swords since they could walk.

"He's just going to get in the way." Rosalie states.

I hang my head. She's probably right. I can't be having to worry about a boy while trying to conquer enemies.

Alice's soft voice rings out through my room. "You just wait and see. I told you something massive was going to happen today. Isaac is it. I know he is."

I shake my head in disagreement. "The only good thing to happen today was that my father let me continue being captain."

"Why did you let him on again?" Rosalie asks.

"I liked his spirit."

She laughs. "His spirit! Well I'd like to see his spirit as the enemy is ripping out his heart with his bare hands."

I cringe. Isaac isn't going to stand a chance.

{~}

**BPOV**

I gape in half awe and half disgust as Jasper leads me through the double doors. Behind the doors is a storage room of sorts, containing rope, boxes, and many weapons and a staircase that winds down into the darkness. Jasper tells me that those weapons are only in case we need them during an attack. Each sailor has their own weapons.

Down the stairs we enter a large room. There are long wooden tables with hundreds of men sitting at them, goofing off, munching on bread and drinking large amounts of alcohol. They're a rough looking bunch; one glare could probably scare the freckles right off my face. At the end of the galleys, Jasper leads me through a hallway with doorways lining each side. He tells me these rooms are reserved for higher up officials, like the gunner (who's in charge of the weapons), the surgeon and other men who have been here the longest.

At the end of the hall, we turn left and enter another hallway. We pass the infirmary and storage rooms before turning left and entering a third hallway. These rooms hold six men to a room. Jasper tells me these rooms usually are pretty cramped. I couldn't imagine living in close quarters with five men.

I'm beginning to feel uneasy at the size of the ship, when Jasper leads me down a second set of stairs.

I almost gasp in disgust.

The entire deck is dedicated to the rest of the crews' sleeping quarters. Hanging from posts throughout the room are hammocks with men lying lazily across the cumbersome netting. On each two posts, there are four hammocks in a vertical row. There are chests stacked against the right wall, and on the left wall, there are four large cannons facing large windows in the wall.

Towards the back of the room, there are about twenty bunk beds stacked three high. Jasper leads me towards the bunk beds and I step around men lying haphazardly on mattresses on the filthy floor. I recoil at the mixed stench of body odor, death and urine.

What have I gotten myself in to?

Some men give me looks of curiosity and others offer me territorial glares. But most of the men look and smell like they haven't bathed in years. I see a couple of them carving notches into the posts with their intimidating, sharp daggers.

My nose stings with the stench.

"You'll get used to the smell." Jasper murmurs, before stopping at a bunk bed. On the middle bunk, there's a boy with dark skin and sandy hair. He appears to be no older than fifteen. "Seth," Jasper addresses the boy, and he looks up and quickly salutes him, a respectful smile on his face. "this is Isaac. He'll be using the top bunk."

Seth gives me a curious, warm smile. "Aye, aye."

The bunk bed is in the center of the room, and as Jasper walks away I quickly climb the wooden ladder up to the top in order to get out of the way of the men running around, goofing off. Just as I place my bag at the end of my bed and narrowly avoid banging my head on the ceiling, Seth's face pops up into view.

"So you're new here?"

I nod.

"Against your will?"

I stare at him. "No! I chose to be here."

He ponders this a moment. "Well welcome, mate!" He winks and disappears back to his bunk below.

The pillow on my bunk is riddled with dust and grime. The red blanket covering the mattress is full of stains and smells faintly of beans and the mattress itself has seen better days. During the ice age.

Scrunching up my nose, I hesitantly lay my head down on the pillow. The one at home has a silk pillowcase and is plush with feathers. Tears burns my eyes.

I made a horrible mistake.

"Seth?"

"Yeah?"

My face burns with embarrassment. "Where….where does one go to relieve himself?"

I hear Seth burst out into raucous laughter and my face burns redder. Between gasps for breaths, he says, "Relieve….himself?" He continues laughing. I begin to grow more impatient. I wait for him to finish. "Ooo. Haha, sorry. Um, it's over there in the corner."

I see his arm emerge from the bunk and point over to the corner of the deck where a large wall blocks off a smaller space. Climbing down the ladder, I whack Seth upside the head.

Making my way over to the restroom, I keep my head down in order to avoid eye contact. Once I make it around the wall, I freeze in terror.

All around the little space are metal pans on the floor filled with excrement. _And there are several men standing, relieving themselves._

Before any of them notice me, I take off through the quarters, away from the unchastely sight. 

{~}

I dry heave over the side of the ship, clutching onto the railing and staring down over into the dark water. With each heave, my stomach clenches and unclenches painfully. But I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast; I was too excited to eat. Breakfast seems like a lifetime ago.

I jump when I feel a small hand on my back. "Are you alright?"

I turn to find little Alice, examining me with worried eyes. I shake my head. "It smells down there."

She smiles sympathetically, her lips still hiding her teeth. "It does, but you'll get used to it."

I'm doubtful. Behind her, I can see the land and my house in the distance. _I can still leave. _

"Why did you come?"

Her question surprises me. "Adventure." I murmur, before turning back over the railing and letting the tears slip down my cheeks.

"Well, the conditions aren't great but the atmosphere is wonderful. These men are some of the kindest, funniest men on the ocean. Don't let their appearances fool you. We all have big hearts and we end up having the time of our lives." I don't answer, so she's quiet a while as we both gaze out over the calm waves. She breaks the silence. "Pirate life isn't easy, Isaac. There is death, loss, disease and fighting. But these people on this ship will make it all worth it."

"I understand. I just wish I had a better pillow."

We both laugh, breaking the moody atmosphere. "Jasper and I have plenty of extras. Let's see what we can find." Alice grabs my hand and pulls me towards the left door next to the captain's.

As she pulls open the door, I'm startled to see a half-naked Jasper sitting with his back to us. He's twirling a dagger in his hand.

"Alice, I was beginning to think you ran off with him." He turns around and his eyes get wide when he sees me.

Alice just laughs. "Nope, I brought him back here to flaunt our affair in your face." The choppy-haired girl flops over to a cabinet in the corner of the room and pulls open the door.

Jasper smirks. "Is that so? Then I'll just have to challenge him to a duel." He holds up the dagger in his hand and points it toward me.

I smile. "You wish you could fight me. But I've got something better than a large knife."

"Oh? And what's that?"

I reach down and pull off my boot. I get in a fighting stance and cock my eyebrow, daring him make the first move.

He starts to laugh. "You think you can win while your weapon of choice is a boot."

"I will fight for her bravely."

Alice cracks up too. "I'm betting on Isaac!"

Jasper gives her a look of betrayal. "Oh, well that just won't do." He rushes at me with his knife and I shriek, holding the boot up to cover my face.

He stops midway and starts to crack up, his arms splayed across his stomach as if the fits of laughter threaten to burst him open.

"Very nice."

I spin around to find Edward leaning against the doorframe, a handsome smirk on his face and his tan arms crossed over his chest as he watches the scene. My face burns with embarrassment.

"Isaac, you let me down!" Alice exclaims.

I smile. Without taking my eyes off of Edward, I say, "That's okay. You're too short for my taste anyway."

I watch as Edward's eyes get big with surprise and then as he starts to snort. His entire face lights up in hysterics. The way his hair bounces when he laughs makes me want to run my fingers through it.

Alice throws a pillow at him and he holds his hands up in defense. "Hey. He said it, not me!"

"Yes, but you had the audacity to encourage him. Out! Both of you!" I turn to see a half-hearted frown on her face. Pulling my boot on and grabbing the pillow she chucked at Edward, I throw Jasper and her a quick salute before scooting past the captain and emerging out on deck.

Before I'm able to make it to the double doors, I hear, "I want to see you in my office bright and early, Isaac!"

I wave in acknowledgment and disappear down the staircase.

By the time I make it back to my bunk, the room has settled down some, but I realize I still have to pee. I throw my pillow up on my bunk and head over to the latrines.

Thankfully, no one's here, so I quickly pull down my britches, squat, and do my business before anyone comes. Just as I'm pulling up my pants, a long, black-haired man turns the corner and spots me. A sinister smile lights up his face.

"Well hello!" He starts to clap with excitement and I stare at him with trepidation. "You must be Isaac!" He comes over to the pan next to me and pulls down his pants. I avert my eyes and stare past him. "There's been talk about you, you know." I start to walk away. There's no way that I'm going to have a conversation with this man while he's relieving himself. "Wait just a moment!" Still facing the room, I impatiently wait as he finishes his business and comes over to me. Holding out his hand, he says, "Aro."

I peer down at his hand in disgust. I am not shaking his hand after he just went to the restroom. He smiles meekly, and after realizing that I'm not going to shake his hand, he pulls it away.

"Welcome to _Éclipse_." With a disturbing smile on his pallid face, he outstretches his arms. "I hope you find it quite….enchanting."

I walk away with an unsettled feeling running up my spine.

When I return to my bunk, I see a man lying across the bottom bed. Seth leans over his bunk. "Embry, this is our new bunkmate, Isaac."

Embry gives me a nod. He has black hair and dark skin, very similar to Seth's. In his hands he's holding a single cold coin. He's flipping it between his fingers with a dejected look on his face.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

Seth answers with a devilish grin. "He blew all his gold on a wench and some rum. That's all he has left."

I nod to hide my disgust. "Was it worth it?"

Embry cracks a huge smile. "Oh yeah."

Shaking my head with a smile, I climb up the ladder and stretch out on my mattress, resting my head on the new pillow. Its fluffiness makes me smile more.

My eyes drift closed with the sound of chattering men and the lapping of the water ringing in my ears.


	5. Chapter 5

**BPOV**

I am awakened by the earth shaking beneath me. Opening my eyes, I discover a pair of dark brown eyes staring into mine. I yelp.

Seth laughs and moves his face away. "Man, you shriek like a girl." My lower bunkmate is perched on my bunk, hovering overtop of me. His knees are on either side of me on the mattress and his hands are on the wooden frame of the bunk, which he had previously just shaken.

"What on earth are you doing?"

I pull my shirt away from where it was wrapped around my body, hoping Seth hadn't caught sight of my not-so-manly chest. Even with the fabric wrapped painfully tight around it, I'm sure my chest doesn't look normal compared to everyone else. My self-consciousness follows me wherever I go.

"Trying to wake you up." Seth says, rolling his eyes. "You are the heaviest sleeper I have ever met. The ship could have been sinking and you wouldn't have noticed."

He's probably right. However, with his body hovering over mine, I can't produce a coherent response, so I say, "Off me. Please."

Seth smiles before climbing down the ladder. "Jasper wanted me to wake you. He said you've slept long enough."

I sit up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. "What time is it?"

"Around eight."

I groan. Never have I gotten up at such an hour. However, Jasper believes _I've slept long enough. _He's insane. My fluffy pillow is still calling out my name.

By now the sleeping quarters are lacking the excitement of the previous night. Only a couple men remain, but they appear to be working.

"Where is everybody?"

"Most are in the town getting their last wealth of rum and women. But most others are up on deck, preparing for our departure."

My stomach drops. "We're leaving so soon?" Staying at the dock has given me intense hope; I could still change my mind. I'm not so sure this pirate life is for me.

Seth nods before he ushers me to hurry up. Digging through my bag, I pull out some new clothes and grab my boots before climbing down the ladder.

"Where can I change?"

The sandy-haired boy gives me a funny look. "Right here?"

My eyes get wide. "But there are people around."

He shrugs. "Nothing we haven't seen before."

My mother would be horrified by these people.

I notice Seth is still wearing the same clothes I saw him in yesterday. I'm about to put my clothes away and just wear what I have on. Seth must have noticed my mortified expression, because he turns around. "Fine. I'm not looking. Hurry up."

Taking a cautious look around the room, I make sure no one is watching and quickly change into a pair of beige pants and a white shirt with short sleeves. I pull on my boots and run a hand through my messy hair. I'm still getting used to its unfamiliar length.

"Ready."

Seth turns around, shaking his head in exasperation. "You lads and your insecurities." He murmurs.

I give him a sheepish smile. Never before have I exposed to men more skin than my arms, face and neck. Even Jacob, whom I treat as my brother, hasn't seen much. Just the thought of a man seeing more makes a warm blush crawl up my skin.

{~}

The sun is spilling through the clouds, sending ray beams of light to illuminate the day. I can smell the salty sea air as the warm breeze runs through me, wrapping around my insides and causing a smile to overtake my face. _This_ is what I imagined life at sea to be. Even though we haven't left yet, my insides are twisting with nervous anticipation. _I can't wait to plunder and pillage! _

Men are everywhere, pulling on ropes to adjust the sails, climbing the masts with bare feet and knives in their hands to cut down the netting that covers the poles, and doing jovial cartwheels across the deck. I laugh at their spirit.

"Everyone is excited because we're sailing for the Caribbean today."Seth tells me.

I gasp in exhilaration. "How long will it take to get there?"

"Four or five weeks. Depending. This ship has never been to the Caribbean. It's a voyage!" Seth exclaims, throwing up his hands and giving me a dazzling smile.

His smile is contagious.

Seth abandons me to go help someone with rope, so I'm left on my own to knock on the captain's door and await the almost inaudible "come in."

Entering the room, I breathe in sharply at the sight of the captain leaning against the wall, his boots crossed and a dagger poised between his fingertips.

Today, the captain looks even more heavenly, if that were possible. The light shining through his large, round window above his bed is casting a halo of light around him, making him appear golden and serenely ethereal. Edward's tan skin reflects the light so that it looks like he is sparkling. He's wearing a red shirt with a black overcoat on top. The shirt's neckline is cut in a large "v," showing off a strip of deliciously tan skin. With black buttons running down its length, the overcoat stops halfway down the leg of his dark, olive green pants.

He eyebrows rise at the sight of me. "Aw, Isaac."

I manage a weak smile. The unnervingly beautiful man before me makes it difficult for me to function. Intense tremors of desire run up my spine at the sight of him. _What is happening to me?_

{~}

**EPOV**

Isaac is staring at me half frightened and half in awe. His large, green eyes are sizing me up and I can almost feel the judgment rolling off of him in waves.

Choosing to ignore his odd expression, I run the dagger down the pad of my index finger, lightly catching the skin, but not doing much damage.

"Jasper will be giving you your chores." Out of the corner of my eye, I see him visibly cringe. "Is something wrong?"

Isaac quickly shakes his head, causing locks of hair to fall into his eyes. He clumsily pushes them away. "No. Nothing wrong."

I feign an enthusiastic smile. "Great." Before I can continue, Jasper bursts into the room looking panicked and shaky, his eyes wide and his long wavy hair flying all over the place.

"Edward, guards are asking for you outside."

With a grab of my sword, I push past Isaac and Jasper and emerge onto the deck where my crew is standing fearfully, two unfamiliar men in red coats peering at them in disgust.

They catch sight of me. The shorter one juts out his chin. "You the captain?"

Narrowing my eyes, I nod warily.

"The constable's daughter went missing yesterday. We have reason to believe she's stowed away on this ship." Says the taller one.

I widen my stance, sizing them up. "And what reason is that?"

"You arrived the same day as her disappearance."

I laugh loudly, spreading my arms around me. "Well, fellahs. What a marvelous coincidence!" I shoot a look at Jasper and he's smiling at the men, giving them his signature menacing glare. His eyes are dark and his hand is poised over his sword at his waist. I throw my hands up into the air, making a show of it. "Really, I'm quite intrigued by the work you do. Tell me, do you always board pirate ships, blaming them of kidnapping, in search of pompous bimbos? Or is this just a one time thing?" I hear a gasp behind me. My crew chuckles. "Because I'm beginning to believe you lot are incredibly stupid."

The policemen exchange a glance. Ignoring me, one says, "We're going to have to search your ship."

I cock an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

The short one looks terrified. _Good. _But, the taller one stands confidently.

"Hmm." I pretend to ponder this, putting my hand up to my chin for good measure. "Just one question, why isn't the constable over here in search of his daughter?"

The two give each other another glance, their hats wobbling on their heads. "Now we don't want any trouble, sea rat. So I suggest you let us proceed." The stocky one spits out _sea rat _as if it's going to insult me. I have heard worse. _I've _said_ worse._

I laugh. "Sea rat?" I turn to Jasper. "He called me a sea rat!" I'm unable to control my over-showy laughter. No one is going to come upon _my _ship and demand things from me. I have a reputation to uphold.

Glancing around at my crew, I notice their unconcerned expressions. They know I won't give in. I've never given in. _Edward Masen does not get pushed around. Edward Masen does the pushing. _

"I'm growing bored with you." I turn to my crew. "Kill 'em." I hear the clank of swords and the frightened cries of the guards. Before retreating, I throw a look over my shoulder. "Oh, and be creative."

{~}

**BPOV**

_A pompous bimbo? A pompous bimbo! _I glare at Edward in disgust. Here he goes judging people he knows nothing about and all I can do is just glare at him because I cannot defend myself without blowing my cover.

And he signed those men's death warrant! As soon as the captain told them to be creative, all hell broke loose. The guards fruitlessly tried to escape while the pirates grabbed them by the shoulders and threw them to the ground, wielding their swords and growling at them.

I hadn't even gotten to say a word to Edward before he said, "Isaac, go into town and tell every pirate you see that we're making an early departure." I would have argued with him if it not for his no-nonsense you-better-do-what-I-ask-or-you-will-be-the-next-one-slaughtered tone.

I make it halfway to town before I realize that people are looking for me. My parents must be frantic with worry. But I can't disobey Edward unless I want to be strung up the mast along with those guards. 

I spot Embry just as I enter the town. He's got his arm on the wall of a building as he leans over a woman who is dressed three miles from modesty. He keeps moving forward, getting closer to her.

Swallowing the bile rising up my throat, I call out his name. He looks at me angrily before he realizes who it is. "Edward told me to tell everyone that we're making an early departure." I say rapidly. "We got in trouble with some guards."

Embry's jaw sets and he takes off into the nearest pub and I make my way through the cobblestone streets, alerting everybody of our departure. None of them recognize me and they give me funny looks, but I just urge them toward the ship. I make it mostly through town without seeing any more, the pirates tend to converge in groups, before someone grabs my arm and spins me around.

I shriek. "Angela! You scared me!"

My best friend gives me a sheepish look. "I'm sorry." I glance past her to see the ship in the distance, growing more anxious with each passing second. I can't let them leave without me. I know the captain would be more than happy to leave me behind. "I'm glad to see the pirates didn't kill you. So, I take it they let you on?"

I nod and quickly tell her my situation. She cringes at the mention of the guards. "Stay out of trouble, Bella. We don't need you getting killed." Tears spring to her eyes. "I'll miss you."

I pull her into a hug. "I'll miss you too."

"Isaac, come on!" I spin around to see Alice giving me a raised eyebrow. "We've got to leave before we get killed!"

I turn around to Angela. "Tell Jacob that I love him and to not get in to any trouble with out me around to fix things. Tell my parents not to worry." Alice starts yanking on my arm, pulling me down the street.

Angela nods sadly. "Good bye."

I wave to her before following Alice down the street. She's walking swiftly, darting looks around us as we go. If the rest of the guards were on standby, we are in loads of trouble. They'll be coming after us, and will stop any pirate they see to drag them off to the gallows. Torturing guards is anything but legal behavior.

We make it back to the ship without incident. Jasper runs to Alice and picks her up in a hug. "I was so worried." He murmurs.

"I'm _fine._"

He sets her down and turns to me. "Thanks for wrangling everyone up."

Alice rolls her eyes. "He didn't do much wrangling that I saw. He was saying goodbye to his girl."

Jasper cocks a curious eyebrow and I mentally curse Alice. But my curse quickly changes to praise when I realize this is a good thing. With me having a "girl," they're more likely to believe my façade. But my face burns with shame anyway.

Before he can comment, a loud bellow comes from behind me, making me jump. "Cast off, fellahs! Anyone not on ship will be left behind! Let me see you move!" At the urgency of the captain, everyone on deck starts moving about, expertly uncoiling the rope and dropping the sails. Towards the back of the boat, I see some people rapidly cranking a wooden handle. Once the anchor is raised, someone pulls away the plank and we start to aimlessly drift on the water.

Jasper begins shouting things I can't make out; he's slurring his words as the commands rapidly plummet out of his mouth.

We're sailing ahead in no time, the guards still tied at the top of the mast above the crows nest. They're back to back and I can faintly make out their cries of discomfort and fear. I wonder if we're just going to leave them up there until they decompose. I shudder at the thought.

The wind's whipping through my hair as I make my way over to the railing. The ocean a dark blue, I look out at the water and marvel at its elegance. The waves lap lazily against the side of the boat, sending a refreshing mist up towards my face. It's beautiful. I've never been on a boat before. Never have I been outside of our little town. This is an adventure. A perfect adventure.

"Isaac!"

I start at the sound of Jasper's commanding voice. "Yes?"

"I need you to empty the excrement pans in the sleeping quarters."

And my perfect adventure comes crashing down around me.

**A/N: Hope you liked this chapter! I apologize for the late update; I've been feeling incredibly under the weather. Expect another update tomorrow, but if I'm unable to pull through, there will definitely be one on Saturday! I promise there will be more exciting action in the coming chapters! Thank you for reading! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**BPOV**

**BPOV**

Cleaning out the excrement pans meant carrying each pan up to the deck one by one, dumping the contents into the ocean, dunking the pan into a large bucket of sea water, and scrubbing them out with a wire brush. And I had to do all of that with my bare hands. It wouldn't have been so bad if the pans' contents hadn't splashed over the sides when the boat jerked or if I tripped, which I did constantly since I'm so clumsy. Along with the pans on the bottom deck, there were also a lot on the middle deck, so I had to clean probably around forty pans. Luckily, though, Alice let me borrow a bandana to cover my face from the awful stench, but just the mere sight of it all made me retch over the side of the boat every thirty seconds. Nothing came up because the last time I had eaten was at breakfast yesterday at my home. My stomach had growled the entire time. To top it all off, the wooden brush gave me blisters on my hands from all the incessant scrubbing.

It's mid afternoon when I finally finish the last pan. The sun is sinking lower in the sky and the deck only has a couple men sitting around it chatting. From being in the sun all day, my face and arms burn from the sun's harsh rays. The stench of feces is ingrained in my brain, and even after I had returned the last pan and collapsed onto my bunk, it still filled my senses and overtook my train of thought. I can't believe Jasper made me do that all by myself. After he had so graciously helped me get on the ship and after we jokingly dueled in his room, I had thought he was going to treat me well and act as one of my friends while on board. But apparently he felt it necessary to condemn me to the worst and most disgusting job on the ship. I knew piracy wasn't going to come easily and that I wouldn't just get to sleep all day, I knew there would be some chores involved, but cleaning out pans filled with the crew's waste had certainly ruined everything I had dreamed of for so long. Nothing has gone right since I boarded this ship, and now I am trapped in seemingly the lowest pit of the Underworld without hope of escape. We're heading to the Caribbean. There's no telling when I'll return home. If I ever return home.

Seth gets back from his job of mopping the galleys, collapses onto his bed and instantly falls asleep. Staring up at the wooden ceiling, I count the individual holes in the boards. They're not large and they appear to have been chipped away by whoever slept in this bunk before me. Faintly, I see three little words carved roughly into the dark wood.

_Nothing is impossible._

I smile. That should be my mantra. I defied the odds and boarded a pirate ship. I'm a woman, disguised as a man surrounded my hundreds of actual men. So far my façade has fooled everyone. I only wonder when it's going to come crashing down around me.

I doze off for awhile, dreaming of falling into the water and drowning in it. But at the end the water turns into excrement, and I awake with a painful gasp.

It's only after I have rolled over and curled up into myself that I hear the ringing sound. It resonates through the deck, bouncing off the walls and creating an atmosphere of excitement. Everyone starts cheering and rushing towards the stairs.

I ask Seth, who just woke up from his nap, what's going on. "Dinner time!" He gives me a wicked smile and follows the sea of men up to the galleys. Once the deck has emptied out some, I follow them, my stomach growling in response.

The entire room is filled with men, but from the grandness of the room, it's a comfortable fit. Large chandeliers filled with romantic illumination hang from the ceiling, giving the room a relaxing glow. To my right, in the corner of the room, is a large mahogany counter. Behind it is a man serving out some suspicious lumpy concoction out of a large pot to the long line of men. Each man picks up a bowl and a piece of bread, awaits the cook's careless _slop _and goes to find a seat at the extending tables.

Although the food looks anything but appetizing, I stand in line and wait for the food because my stomach's loud growling is impossible to ignore. Once I get my food—looks like a mixture of clam chowder and vegetables—I find Seth and squeeze onto the bench between him and some other guy.

The man to my right introduces himself as Sam. He's one of the oldest members on the ship that I have met so far, having been here since he was fifteen, at the age of twenty-four. The dark- skinned man holds himself with calm maturity, and welcomes me with a tight-lipped smile.

Telling a _riveting_ story about his latest conquest, Embry animatedly narrates while ravenously shoveling the vomit-resembling _food _into his mouth—if you could even call it food. Miserably, I slouch over my bowl and try to ignore its appalling odor. Luckily, though, it's a much better smell than those pans I slaved over all morning.

Deciding the bread looks relatively edible, I bring it up to my mouth and bite into it. "Ouch." The bread is as solid as a rock. Across from me, the man next to Embry gives me a speculative look. Black hair and dark skin makes him seem identical to Embry, Seth and Sam.

"It's hard tack." He grunts. "You gotta dunk it in the soup."

I take his advice and watch as the thick concoction squishes under the pressure of the rock. Forced to hold down the sickness churning in my stomach, I bring the bread up to my mouth and, closing my eyes, take a bite. A rush of varying flavors attack my taste buds. First there's the thick sauce that tastes like a rough mixture of beef and peas. Then the onions crunch between my teeth, followed by the squishiness of some sort of bean. Finally, I get a taste of the bread, a flavor resembling mud and paper.

I cough loudly, trying not to spit the contents in my mouth all over the table. Everyone gives me a sympathetic look. Tears spring to my eyes.

"Try holding your nose next time." Seth tells me, patting my back. "Then after a while, your taste buds will die and you won't notice the God awful taste." He winks at me and I roll my eyes.

I finish my meal by holding my nose the entire time, discovering if I even let it go for a second, the taste would appear in my mouth and I would cough erratically. If my nose -holding hadn't attracted attention, my coughing sure did.

"How can you eat this stuff?" I ask at one point, addressing Seth.

He gives me a noncommittal shrug. "Nothing else to eat, I guess."

I shake my head in disappointment. If only he knew how I usually eat. "But what about the stuff you steal?"

"Goes by fast"

{~}

The sun was sinking lower in the sky, causing the lower deck to be half submerged in darkness, and the men surrounding me were engaged in carefree conversation, their chores completed for the day. Seth and the boy who advised me about the bread, Paul, are stretched out on Seth's bunk, bantering back and forth about their expectations for our new voyage. Seth believes we'll discover a deserted island with rare plants and animals and we'll get credit for its discovery. Paul decides that Seth is insane and instead we'll find an island inhabited by 'beautiful native women.' I roll my eyes at their buffoonish conversation.

The three little words etched into my ceiling captivate my attention and I stare at them endlessly for what seems like hours. It's incredible how just three words written by some unknown figure can uplift my spirits so easily.

_Nothing is impossible. _I wonder if that's true.

There is a lull in the conversation beneath me, so I lean over the railing and peer down at Seth's upside down face. "Hey, who slept in this bed before me?"

A sly grin contorts his face and he is about to answer me when someone across the room bellows. "Leggo fer a swim!"

Just as before dinner, there's a mad rush as the men start up the stairs excitedly, but not before they go digging through their things and grab a towel and a bar of soap. Following their lead, I rustle through my things and pull out my favorite bath towel that I decided to bring with me. It's blue. Everyone else's is a grungy white. I produce my bar of soap and follow Seth and Embry through the ship to the top deck.

When I break out into the night air, I gasp in sheer sock. Hundreds of men crowd the deck in varying stages of undress. The boat is still, making me believe someone has lowered the anchor. I avert my eyes from the unchastely scene, and listen as I hear splash after splash as the men jump into the ocean. The water must be cold, because I hear shouts and moans of displeasure. Seth and Embry start to undress too, slinging their towels down on a nearby barrel. They urge me to join them, but I shake my head, a blush rising up my cheeks.

"Right, I forgot." Seth nods, turning to Embry. "He's shy."

My bunkmates give me final looks of disapproval before pulling off their pants, running towards the railing, and jumping overboard. I wonder if I should go back downstairs and forget bathing, when Alice finds me through the rush of people.

"Why aren't you joining in the fun?" Alice questions, her eyes upturned in curiosity. Her black head of hair is pulled back into a dark blue piece of cloth, opening up her face to reveal her delicate features.

I blush. "Um…I…I'm not….not comfortable." She smiles knowingly and tells me I shouldn't be shy when it comes to hygiene. I only nod and wait patiently for her to leave. There are more reasons on why I won't join in the "fun," but I can't tell her any of them. Especially since it could get me killed.

Speaking of which, I brave a look up towards the mast where the guards are still tied up, slumped forward with gruesome, resolved looks on their faces. They've accepted their death.

When I return my gaze to the deck, it's mostly cleared, and I notice Edward step out of his room. Instead of what he had on earlier, he's wearing a thin white shirt with the sleeves cut off, showing off his muscular tan arms, and a thin pair of black pants. Like the others, he's carrying a towel and a bar of soap. _The captain is going swimming too. He's going to be naked._

I mentally chastise myself for even allowing the image to appear in my head. I am a lady, and ladies do not think such unchastely thoughts. _Ladies also do not board pirate ships in disguise. _

Shaking my head, I retreat down the stairs, avoiding any eye contact with the undressing men.

{~}

**EPOV**

When I hit the water, bar of soap in hand, I resist the urge to shiver violently due to the frigid temperature. In such intimate situations as being naked, I try not to reveal too much around these people. Certainly, I am not _ashamed _of my body, it's just that I feel nudity should be reserved for the rights of certain people, and nearly 700 men do not fall under the category. Always being plagued with insecurity and a need for modesty, it hasn't been easy for me to grow up on a boat where boundaries are not present. Perhaps it was the way my father treated the world, with reckless abandon, that made me want to stray away from his way of living. I remember distinctly when I was around seven or so, we stopped and dropped anchor for a nice swim and bath. Previously, I had no reason for modesty, but after seeing my father completely wasted and strutting around the deck completely naked, his less than fit body flopping all over the place, I realized the powers of humility. I also made a pact to never drink so much that my inhibitions would be released.

As I quickly scrub myself with my soap, I discreetly watch as the other men splash around in the water and push each other under. In the middle of the ocean, it's not easy to stay above water, so my arms and legs beat furiously, trying to not drown. With years of experience under my belt, it's not as hard as it was when I first started at the age of five—the time I first boarded this ship. After my father got my mother, a poor farm girl named Elizabeth, pregnant, he took a short hiatus to help raise me. But when my mother suddenly died of influenza when I was five, it was back to the seas for my father, with me in tow. And this is where I have been ever since.

The other founders of this ship, my father's best friends, had children, and they were raised on the ship too. They quickly became my good friends, and partners in crime. As time went on and more people were killed, the ship's original occupants severely dwindled, but my best friends never left my side. Last year, when my father announced me in charge of his absence, I couldn't believe my luck. I had been condemned to the lowest deck my entire life, despite my father being the captain. I had never thought he would entrust me with his own creation, the product of his sweat and blood. I didn't believe I was worthy enough. Usually, _Éclipse _operated on a voting system, so many men were unpleased by me stepping in. But I soon proved to be an effective leader.

I gently swim around for a while, enjoying the cool water over my bare skin. After smelling like sweat and filth for more than a week, the smooth water washing away the grit is intensely refreshing. A little ways away, I see Jasper and Alice caressing each other tenderly. They're always like this; they aren't shy about displaying their affection in public. The familiar pang of jealousy tings in the pit of my stomach. Jasper so easily found love in the beautiful daughter of his father's best friend. While many of the originals were close, Jasper and Alice's fathers were inseparable. It was only fate that the two would end up together. With Emmett and Rosalie, the situation is the same. But me? My father wasn't close with anyone but himself. So of the only two women to board this ship, I wasn't privy to either of them. Although I held no attraction for Rosalie or Alice, it was still a wish of mine to be with someone who shared my affinity for piracy.

Before long, the tips of my toes begin to go numb, so I make my way over to the rope ladder hanging over the side of the ship. I don't get very far before I'm stopped by Aro.

"It is lovely to see you, Edward."

I manage a tight-lipped nod. Out of all the crew members on the ship, Aro has to be the most frightening. His long black hair, unusually pale face and sinister smile unsettles me. Aro is older, one of the members to board before me. I heard he's is only here for the thrill of being in control.

"I wanted to discuss with you my sleeping assignment. I have been here long before you have, and certainly I deserve a better place to sleep than with the bilge rats." He continues to smile creepily, "I was thinking the cabin next to Carlisle's. He is a good friend of mine. We go way back."

A spark of rage runs through me. Who does he think he is to come and request a room change? No one has ever complained before -they just live where they live and they are grateful they even have a bed. Obviously he is questioning my authority. "No one is allowed to change rooms." I say through clenched teeth.

"You did." He points out.

"Because I am now the captain." I try to stamp down an outburst. "If you can find a man to switch with you, be my guest. But I am not assigning you to a new room."

He nods. "That is certainly acceptable." I try to swim past him, but he continues the conversation. I groan inwardly, the water making my toes more numb at every passing second. "So what is with that Isaac boy?"

I still. "What about him?"

Aro shrugs, acting indifferent. "Well, you let him on without notice, and for no apparent reason. Plus, he didn't join in on tonight's festivities." He swoops his arms to indicate what he means, and he bobs in the water due to him not able to wade properly without his arms. "I saw him disappear below deck."

I shrug. "I don't really care what he does and doesn't do. And the reason I let him on is none of your concern."

"No, no, no, of course it isn't." I can detect the sarcasm in his voice. "I was just curious. It seems that he is an odd fellow."

Indeed, Isaac's mannerisms have been awfully strange. Today, as he was cleaning out the pans, I saw him periodically check his nails in disgust. And that wasn't the only thing that set him apart from every one else. Isaac holds himself with dignity and poise, making him seem as if he came from money. However, if he came from money, why would he board a pirate ship? Most of the men on this boat are only on it for the food, shelter and split of supplies we steal from other ships. If Isaac were wealthy, he wouldn't need to result to crime to make a living like the rest of us.

"Anyway," he continues, "I just think it would be beneficial for him if you let me take him under my wing and show him the ropes. With his talents, I am sure it would be a waste to not allow him to grasp his full potential."

Talents? So far, the only talents I have seen is effectively retching over the side of the boat every thirty seconds. Whatever Aro is seeing in the boy, I certainly was not.

"I don't know what you mean."

He is thoughtful a moment. "Right, I'm sure you don't. I guess that is just the ignorance of you." He gives me a crooked smirk.

I internally growl at his insult. By now, just about every bit of me is frozen to the core, so I quickly leave the conversation and climb the ladder as quickly as possible. I wrap my towel around me, grab my clothes, and dash towards my room.

Once dressed, I make my way to the galleys for a late dinner. Usually I have some food delivered to my room, but my meeting with Rosalie had made it impossible for me to sit and rest. Rosalie is in charge of navigation. She was expertly taught by her father, the previous sailing master. While in my office, we discussed our route and plan of action. We expected to hit several islands in at least three weeks.

I had hoped to find the large room devoid of anyone, but quickly discovered my hopes to be destroyed when I noticed Isaac lying on a bench, his hands clasped over his stomach and his eyes closed. Obviously he wasn't asleep by his incessant foot tapping, probably to a tune in his head. He's got a blue towel piled up under his head, and a bar of soap sitting on the table. So as not to disturb him, I quietly make my way over to the storage room and grab myself the leftover slop. Even after years of this stuff, I can't get used to it.

I plop down across the table from where Isaac is lying. The vibrations of the table alert him and he pops up, his green eyes startled.

"Oh. I didn't hear you come in."

I smirk at him. _Add careful, feminine voice to his list of oddities. _

I don't acknowledge this. "Why aren't you out there with everyone?"

"Why aren't _you_ out there?"

This makes me smile. "I came to get some dinner. Besides, I'm done cleaning up."

Isaac nods thoughtfully. He twiddles with the soap on the table, mesmerized by the gentle flipshe's making. Then he watches me shovel in the soup. "How can you eat that so easily?" He whispers, in awe. I know better than to touch the dirt- riddled bread, so I bypassed that part of the meal and am just shoveling the soup in as quickly as possible.

I shrug. "When you're hungry, you'll eat anything. Especially if there's nothing else."

Three, perfect little creases appear between his eyebrows as he frowns. "I would have thought you would splurge on something a little more….tasty." We have. Since my father left the ship, we've been raiding even more merchant ships, stealing their food and stocking up on all the necessities. For those few short days, life was splendid. But with 700 hundred men, food doesn't last long. We have to resort to the bones and leftover scraps.

"Food shouldn't be our number one priority. Staying alive should. Even if the food is God awful, at least we have something to put in our stomachs."

"Perhaps you need a better rationing system. Obviously, with nearly 700 men, the food gets consumed pretty quickly. Maybe there's a way to divvy it out as efficiently as possible. That way you won't have to eat that slop you try to pass as food."

I start to laugh. "A rationing system? What are we? The fucking navy?" He seems disgruntled by my sudden outburst, his eyes blazing with an internal flame.

"If you want to eat like pigs the rest of your life, go ahead. But when a solution is available and you choose to ignore it, you're being incredibly ignorant."

I am shocked by this sudden display of emotion. He's the second one to call me ignorant today, and maybe perhaps I am. No one has ever tried to question the decisions I make. But what if we _were_ to ration our food better? After all, we ration everything else, why not the food? It would be nice to eat something other than slop. However, my stubbornness takes over. "No. Everyone is perfectly fine with our set up. We've been doing it since the ship was built."

"Well it sucks." We both seem to be shocked at this statement. Me, because he's expressing his opinion so freely, and him because he said such a thing.

I can't seem to be mad at him, because his opinions are oddly refreshing. He seems to be riling up some sort of hidden emotion within me. Suddenly, I feel like I _can _do something about this awful situation. I am the captain after all.

My shoulders fall in defeat. "You're right."

His face alights with surprise. "I am always right."

I laugh at this. "Sure. Sure. You're humble."

We're quiet for a few moments as I finish the _delectable _concoction. "You're being strangely nice all of a sudden." He states, pulling a hand through his brown hair.

"Do you want me to be mean?" I question.

He shakes his head, biting back a smile. "No, no. Certainly not. You just seem different from the man who strung two guards up a mast this morning and left them there to wither."

"Technically, I wasn't the one to tie them up there."

He smiles. "You know what I mean." He's quiet for a moment. "I just thought you hated me."

I narrow my eyes. "You haven't given me a reason to hate you yet. Besides, I hate very few people. To hate someone, they would truly have to deserve to be on the list. You…" I search for the right words. "You have shown promise."

A giant smile brightens his soft face. He seems genuinely happy. I hadn't known my approval was so important to him. It's making me question my worth. He's making me question everything. "I'm glad." He murmurs. "I would hate to be a burden."

"I guess we'll find out."

He nods, understanding. By now, I've finished my bowl of grossness and now I'm just leaning over the table towards him, completely engrossed in his familiar eyes. _Where had I seen them before?_

Isaac seems uncomfortable, so he stands up, picks up his belongings and says, "I probably should be getting to bed. It's late. Waking up early has taken its toll on me."

I give him a little nod before he takes off out of the galleys. As I watch him retreat, I realize two things. One, I have no idea how to ration food, and two, I was really looking forward to having him around.

**A/N: So now you know a little bit more about Edward. And he's not so bad! :) or is he? ;) **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Sorry for the late update—been quite busy lately. But this one is extra long! There's a fight scene, so reader discretion is advised, of course. Lalalalala now on to the story! Hope you like it!**

**BPOV**

Nightmares, as dark as the depths of the ocean, tug at my dreams, rough them up, and spit them out, making me jerk awake with a sudden start with a gasp of breath. Instead of the guards who were strung up the mast, it was me. A layer of sweat covers my skin. The room is dark and I can't see even my hand in front of my face. Waves lap at the side of the boat, knocking into it with force and making it rock underneath me. My head swims. The stench is overpowering. I'm sure I don't smell any better.

Before I can lose my nerve, I retrieve my stuff and make my way down my ladder, feeling my way through the dark the best I can, careful not to wake Seth or Embry. By now my eyes have adjusted to the darkness, so I can make out the shapes of the bunks through the room. I keep my hands raised in front of me, using my feet to make careful, searching steps. Some men sleep on mattresses on the floor, and I don't want to step on them. All of the beds are lined up in neat columns. A few of the columns have the beds parallel to the far walls, while the column my bed in is faced parallel to the length of the boat. Each step I take, a different odor penetrates my senses. Near the front of the deck, I catch a whiff of nothing other than what seems like wet dog. I've never had a dog, but Jacob did when we were younger. We would take it to play in the ocean with us and he would always come back smelling atrocious. The memory makes me smile. Jacob and I loved that animal so much. It died when we were all at church one morning. Jacob came back to find it lying on its side in the yard. He never told me how it died, but I knew their house had been broken in to, so I figured the robbers must have killed it.

Now, I hold my nose against the smell. It's overbearing, and not accompanied by a large, yellow puppy, so the smell only repulses me. Once I make it past the middle deck cabins, freezing when I hit a squeaky board, and through the empty galleys, I arrive on deck and in to the cool night air. Thankfully, the deck is empty. The anchor is still down and no one is at the wheel. I quickly strip, shivering against the cold wind. I pry off the wrap around my chest, silently gasping when I notice the harsh red marks lining my pale skin. Just above the protrusion of my right rib, a purple and back bruise disfigures the skin. Clenching my teeth against the air, I slowly grab the nearest rope ladder and carefully climb over the railing with my bar of soap in hand.

The water feels like pinpricks of sharp needles are being shoved into my skin all at once. But I shut my mouth against a yelp. I keep to the side of the boat even though I know how to swim. I've never been this far out before, and I'm afraid of fish and sharks. I also am not sure if I would be able to wade fast enough. From spending the morning scrubbing pans and going up and down stairs, I am exhausted. My body aches everywhere. Never have I done that much physical work without a break. Jacob and I would take walks through the woods and he would chase me, but that would only be for a couple minutes- we would collapse onto the ground laughing and fall asleep amongst the trees before we got very far. My family has always had servants to do our work, like mopping, sweeping and gardening. I've never such as lifted a finger my entire life, and one day is already taking its toll on me.

Even though the soap is not for hair,—I forgot the soap I usually use for it—I quickly get it wet and scrub the bar in my hair, massaging the soap into my brown locks and sighing at the feeling of finally being clean. I dip my head into the cold water, welcoming its weight pulling my hair down as I emerge. A icy stream runs down my back, making me flinch. I keep hold of the bottom of the ladder with my legs so as not to float away while I use both hands to wash myself. I bring my arm up to my nose and inhale the flowery scent. Finally, I no longer smell like feces.

When I finish up, I climb back up the ladder, precariously swaying back and forth as I go. I wrap the towel around my body, drying myself off with the plush cloth. I'm about to reach down and grab the clean pair of clothes I brought up with me when the captain's door creaks open. Startled, I quickly grab the nearest item and hold it in front on my unman-like lumps underneath my towel.

Edward appears in front of me, looking painstakingly beautiful and perfectly ruffled. His hair is a crazy mess and his silk pants sit low on his hips, showing off his bare chest and the "v"-like crease running down along his pelvis and disappearing into his pants. I blush at the sight of his muscles.

"What are you doing?" He mumbles, rubbing his face with his hand. I'm reminded by the way his eyes had changed from the evil, cold flame of a pirate captain to the soft green glow of a kind friend as he was talking with me earlier in the galleys. The sudden change had caught me off guard and made me wary. My father had always told me that everyone has two faces. One is the mask that they put on for everybody, and the second is their true self. I wonder which one is Edward's true self. Edward's eyes are dark now, the white of the moon reflecting in his eyes as he looks at me curiously. You can see the fatigue on his face.

I shiver against the wind, wishing I could just get dressed. But now the captain is up and I'm standing feet away from a half-naked boy, completely naked beneath a towel, him not knowing that I, in fact, am no Isaac, but instead a woman whose body is alight with electricity at the sight of him.

He's still looking at me, waiting for an answer, and I struggle to give him one. The way his sculpted chest and soft curve of his hips as they dip down into his pants complete the perfect image of a man in my head. When I imagined my pirate, I would imagine him strong and capable. But quite possibly Edward exceeds my expectations, because the way bumps rise on my skin, making me shiver, and the way the contours of his body make my hands tingle with need to touch him, surpasses what any imagination of mine could create. I'm at a loss for words.

He raises an eyebrow, and I remove my gaze from his body, ashamed. A boy checking out the pirate captain will certainly call for some teasing. But if only he didn't think I was a boy. If only he would recognize me for who I am.

"I was just cleaning up." I finally manage, now that my eyes are no longer being captivated by his muscles. I can hear him breathe, a soft inhale and exhale. Out of the corner of my eye, I watch his chest rise and fall. Never have I been so aware of anyone before.

He nods slowly. Edward strides barefoot across the deck and stands against the railing next to me, looking out over the water. I follow his gaze. We stand like that awhile, him watching the horizon and me staring at his profile. I memorize every crease and dimple, every contour and angle. The corners of his eyes wrinkle when he focuses. The corners of his mouth turn up slightly when he shivers from the cool wind.

Despite my naked discomfort, standing next to Edward in perfect silence washes everything away. I don't think of anything but him. I watch as his hands grip the railing and I wish they were gripping my waist, pulling my body towards his. The silence is not awkward, it's beautiful and makes me dizzy.

Just as the sun is rising, I realize. After having known Edward for only one day, I haven't become accustomed to him. But watching him as the sun crept up out of the horizon, its orange glow shining out brilliantly over the water, I take in the way his hair falls over his forehead in bronze waves of light. The sun is blinding, and makes him squint and the corners of his mouth turn up in a smile, a familiar smile.

I have found my pirate. I just know.

We retreat to our separate beds without a word.

{~)

"Isaac, the goal is to never lose concentration. Never take your eyes off of your opponent." Alice tells me. "If you give them a chance, they'll take it and you'll be dead in seconds. Don't give them the upper hand." Her eyes are baring holes into mine.

I shoot another look over to Edward who is sitting on a nearby barrel, watching our lesson. Men move around the deck, keeping busy under the supervision of the captain. Jasper is sick, so Edward decided to see things through for him, since Emmett was being ornery. I had met the first mate this morning when Rosalie came prancing through the galleys in search of Alice, Emmett on her arm. The couple introduced themselves. Emmett gave me a big pat on the back and his wife gave me a tight-lipped smile. Emmett had acquired a large splinter in his foot and they needed Alice's small hands to help pull it out. He's been a baby all morning, staying in their cabin, whining of the pain. So that meant Edward would be on deck all day, keeping his eyes on my progress.

So far, the only thing I had managed to do correctly was nearly drop the cutlass, as Alice continually called it, on my foot. I just called it a sword, to Alice's chagrin. It was about two feet long, curved, and mildly heavy. Alice's quick swoop, deflected by my clumsy movements, knocked the weapon from my hand. It clattered at out feet. Edward had smirked.

"Don't give them the upper hand. Got it." I nod.

"Good. Now let's practice what I taught you." She widens her stance and I follow her lead. As she swings blows at me, I find it hard to block because her movements are so quick and short. Each block causes a resounding clank to vibrate the sword in my hand and up my arm. After awhile, I find it increasingly hard to keep up with her movements. They come down near my head, near my abdomen, and my arms are starting to feel floppy with exhaustion.

"You're getting sloppy." Edward calls from across the deck. I shoot a look at him and his eyebrows are drawn down in a look of beautiful concentration. Just then, a swoop comes across my abdomen and I'm unable to block it. It grazes my shirt.

"Isaac! I told you to concentrate. You would be dead if this wasn't practice." I nod solemnly. Edward chuckles, and I shoot him a withering glare. He probably distracted me on purpose. However, it's not hard with his body. He holds his hands up in defense. Alice and I continue practicing for most of the afternoon. The men on the deck come and go, but Edward stays, his perfect golden eyes trained on us the entire time. I start to anticipate Alice's moves after awhile, and I get the hand of the thrusting and slicing. Even though the fatigue pulls at me, I keep going, not wanting to give up in front of the captain. Alice is quick, and moves around like a ghost, there one minute, gone the next. We use the entire deck as we (almost) jokingly fight. Edward has a small smirk on his face, his arms crossed across his chest, making his bicep muscles appear even larger.

It's about mid-afternoon when I am so tired I can't breathe. I haven't had a drink of water all day. "Can we take a break?" Alice give me a look of exasperation and I give her a pleading one.

"This is important, Isaac, if you don't learn how to do this quickly-" She's cut off by yelling.

"Cap'n! There's a ship in sight!"

Edward jumps into action. He takes a scope from the man and focuses it out on the ocean. In the distance I can see the outline of a ship smaller than ours, its masts extending into the air like pine trees would. His whole body goes rigid, and suddenly he's shouting orders to "hoist the colors."

Men run out of the double doors carrying large swaths of black fabric. They go to the bottom of each mast, clip the hooks onto the flag, and pulley them to the top of each where they billow out brilliantly in the wind, displaying a skull and a cross of bones underneath. I shiver in anticipation. Someone grabs the wheel, and with a harsh jerk, we begin gliding through the waves straight toward the other boat.

Alice is shouting manically at me to get below deck, but I am rooted in place, unable to take my eyes off of the boat growing larger and larger. I clutch the _cutlass _in my hand and furrow my brows, determined. We're going to plunder this boat. And I'm going to help.

Emmett comes running out of his room in all of the excitement, wondering what is going on. Rosalie, who came out of nowhere, tells him to go lie back down, but he doesn't heed her requests until she gives him a long, penetrating glare that seems to cut right through him like butter, because he flinches and retreats to their bedroom with his head hanging. Everyone is donning his weapons, shouting excitedly. Edward has a large sword in one hand. Finally, we reach viewing distance of the other ship. It has a red flag strung up its middle mast. There are men on the deck, looking as eager as we seem, sharp metal in hands.

Edward holds up a hand to silence the almost overflowing deck. "Do you surrender?" He calls over to the enemy ship.

"Yer gonna have'ta kill us all befer we surrender!" Someone replies.

Edward turns to smirk at us. His eyes lock with mine for a brief second, he nods, and then he turns away. "Challenge accepted!" The boat is just about the size as ours, but we appear to severely outnumber them.

There's a big roar in response from across the water, and soon our boat is knocking into the side of theirs and I almost go flying at the impact. Suddenly, there are men rushing over both sides of the boat, flinging their axes and swords toward anyone unfamiliar.

Sickening crunches of metal on metal ring through the air and I bite back a shudder. I watch as Edward expertly fights another man who's only got one arm. Their swords clang against the other and they bounce on their feet as if engaging in a dance. Edward pounces and cuts, a lifetime of skill behind it, right across the enemy's neck, slicing through skin and cutting open the man's throat. Blood spills down his neck and he collapses onto his knees, his red eyes gone wild. The pirate clutches his neck, and with one final swoop of his sword, Edward chops through the rest of his opponent's throat. The man's head lulls to the side and then it falls onto the deck with a sick thud, and then the man's body follows. Dead, his head disconnected from his body. Eyes open, vacant and staring right at me, the man's dismembered head lays on the wood, his ratty hair spread out all over the place, coated in the blood that leaks out of it. His body resembles a rag doll. Edward only leaves a second to smirk over his handiwork before he turns to the next person and chops through them with the same amount of vicious determination and ferocity. I stare at the victim in shock. He's without a head. Edward chopped his head off. Sharp bites of fear lick at my stomach.

All around me men are chopping away at their opponents, slaying them with single, heavy strokes to the body. There are punches and pushing, grunts and moans, screams and cries. Blood flies through the air as Alice brings her cutlass down on a man's throat, cutting a vertical slash through the skin and bone of his shoulder and continuing down through his chest with a sickening _slurp_ and _crunch._ The man slumps forward onto the deck and Alice quickly ducks out of the way before moving on as if it was nothing. As if she didn't just slide her sword through a man's chest.

I'm about to run below deck and take shelter like Alice advised me to, the scene around me too gruesome to bear, when suddenly there is a burning in my arm. I look down to see a thick slice through my shirt and my skin roughly torn apart, blood coating the skin. The offender is raising his sword for another swing when I take action. I know he is going to kill me if he gets the chance. I can't give him the chance.

Taking my cutlass, I don't wait for his sword to connect with mine in a block, instead, I swoop across his left side as hard as I can. It penetrates deep, he cries out, and after pulling my cutlass out of his side, I sink it in again, and again, and again, and again, some unknown, unstoppable power rushing through my veins. He doesn't get a chance at another swing. His blood splatters all over me, coating my face with warmth. I don't stop until my arm grows heavy with fatigue after slicing through the man's side so many times. My sword goes deeper and deeper with every hit, and the sounds that the sword makes as it cuts through flesh and organs rings in my ears and fuels the adrenaline coursing through my bloodstream. His face is torn apart, a sloppy look of fear and pain spreading through his blue eyes. He struggles against the screams that are welling up in his chest, but instead of the noise coming out when he opens his mouth, he coughs up blood instead. The man beneath my sword stares at me in shock, and my stomach twists in pain as I come to the realization of my actions. As if in slow motion, his eyes roll into the back of his head, his head cocks to the side, and his entire body goes limp before it crumbles to the ground, motionless. I stare in shock at what I've done.

I killed a man.

I _killed _a man.

I killed a _man. _

_I _killed a man.

Oh God.

Oh my God. Oh my God. A man is dead because of me. I took the life right out of him with this hunk of metal clutched tightly into my hand, all because I decided to join a pirate ship one day. Lalalalalalala, boom. Death.

My head swims with nausea as I stare at the bleeding man at my feet, his insides falling out onto the deck. His thick blood is spilling onto my boots. He's motionless. Dead. Never again will he see his friends, his family, his girl. Oh God. _What have I done?_

I start to lose balance and suddenly I'm staring up at the blue sky. There's a large lump beneath me, but I can't move. I can't move away from the dead man. I can't move away from the sin I just committed. I killed someone. Someone is dead because of me. The act weighs down my shoulders, and I'm held in place by the awful deed. It's suffocating, and I struggle to breathe. All I see is blood. A large man comes into my line of sight and smirks down on me. He's cloaked in all black. He takes me by the shoulders and shakes me roughly. My head flops around.

I let his presence shroud out the blue sky and I slip away into the welcoming darkness.

{~}

**EPOV**

The familiar cries of battle infiltrate the ship's deck. I have grown accustomed to the sounds of men crying out in pain as they lie dying in heaps, blood pooling around their wounds, so the image before me does little to my stomach like it used to. Even seeing my men lie motionless, when they were once joyous people with smiles on their faces and dreams and hopes, doesn't affect me like it once did. However, the sight still causes me pain. We manage to kill everyone on the other pirate ship, even without the help and commands of Emmett and Jasper. Usually they take the initiative to shout out orders, but since I'm not so good at multitasking, I usually just fight and worry about everyone else later. Before we can move their supplies to our ship, we have to dispose of the dead bodies, or else we'll be stepping on them. They fill the ship, pervading it completely like dandelions in a field.

The whole time that we're lifting up bodies and throwing them overboard into the ocean, Alice is whining about Isaac. Apparently he didn't go below deck like she told him to, and now he's nowhere to be found. I hadn't expected him to go so quickly, but a little thing like that wasn't going to last long on a pirate ship. It's a shame. Alice is distraught.

The bodies start to dwindle from the ship. I bend down to pull a man up into my arms when a harsh moan vibrates through his chest. "Hey, this one ain't dead!" Everyone ignores me. He's completely covered in blood, and more blood oozes out of a wound on his arm. I lie him on an empty part of the deck and turn his face towards me. "It's Isaac!" Alice shrieks in excitement and leans down next to him, cradling his bloody face in her lap. His shirt is completely soaked in blood, and all down his arms and his hands are covered in the red stuff. _What the hell happened?_

"Aw, he doesn't appear to be too hurt." Alice murmurs.

As if in response, Isaac starts coughing and shaking violently. "No, No. No." He murmurs, his entire body convulsing on the deck.

Alice's eyes are panicked. "What's wrong with him?" She holds onto him tighter as his coughing subsides, but his shaking continues. His legs start to thrash, and I grab them, pinning them down to the ground. With his legs incapacitated, he uses his arms to thrash around at Alice, hitting her in the face and screaming all the while.

"Let go of me!" Tears are streaming down his pale face. Alice looks frightened, so I pull Isaac out of her grasp and pull him against my chest, holding him tightly in one compact unit so he can't thrash about. I find myself rocking him back and forth like he's my child whom I'm comforting after a bad dream.

"Shhh."

Eventually, he calms down enough so that I can take him to the infirmary without him flopping around in my arms. Carlisle, the surgeon and the man who's acted more like a father to me than my actual one, is busy stitching up Seth's eyebrow. Seth's sitting up on the table, a grimace pulling at his mouth as the needle pulls in and out of his skin.

"What's wrong with Isaac?" The young boy gives me a concerned look before he grimaces at the strain on his wound. Carlisle glances over his shoulder.

"What's the damage?"

I adjust Isaac in my arms, who's whimpering quietly. "He's got a bad gash in him arm, it needs to be stitched up quickly. It's bleeding awfully bad. He's also been freaking out. I think he's going through some shock or something."

Carlisle ushers me to lie him on the table next to Seth, who graciously scoots over, the needle and thread dangling against his cheek where Carlisle dropped it to adjust Isaac on the table. Once I let go of him, he grabs at my arm. His eyes are open now, staring daggers into mine. His body is still disgustingly coated in blood.

"Help me."

My heart tears at the words. His plea is so distraught and pitiful. I knew I shouldn't have let him aboard, let alone fight. He's going to be seriously messed up after this, and it's all my fault.

Carlisle begins pulling off Isaac's shirt. "Edward, why don't you go back out and help everyone? Seth and I can handle this."

I look down at the green-eyed wreak lying before me. He looks so destroyed. Isaac is shaking again, violently. Seth strokes his head, trying to comfort him. I have never seen anyone act like this. His only wound appears to be on his arm and it doesn't look that bad. The fight must have got to him.

I nod. "Yeah okay." I shoot a look at Seth, and he nods, like he's got this under control. I don't know why I feel so concerned for Isaac. There's this need to protect him. Maybe his whimpering and crying has gotten to me, and I've gone all soft. A pirate captain can't be soft.

I leave the room as Carlisle is cutting off Isaac's shirt. Even though Carlisle told me to leave, I didn't want to stay another minute, so I left willingly. The protective feeling that overcame me was too intense and strange. Isaac has proven to be a very interesting character on my ship. He's got a fire behind his eyes that I've never seen before. And he's so young. It confuses me.

Alice is eagerly waiting for me on deck. Just about every body has been cleared away and my men are currently swabbing up all the blood. They all look rough and torn. We all know that fighting other pirates takes a toll on us. But we just deal with it because that's what we have to do. There's no other choice. Fighting is our life and casualties are just part of the game.

"Is he going to be okay?"

I slump down on a barrel, pulling my shirt with Isaac's blood all over it away from my body. It sticks to my skin; the warm liquid that was once inside Isaac is now all over my chest. I shudder. "Carlisle didn't say. Just told me to come help everyone up here."

Alice rubs my shoulder. "We're fine. Why don't you go get cleaned up?"

I look around the deck. "I don't know why this fight was different than all the others."

She shrugs, a look of concern taking over her delicate features. She's so beautiful, I understand why Jasper is so taken with her. "All that matters is that we're okay. We won. Our ship is fine, and Isaac didn't get too badly hurt."

I look her in the eyes. "Why does Isaac matter so much?" I mumble. But I'm more asking myself than I am asking her.

Alice is quiet for a while. The sloppy, _swish swish _of the mops against the deck fills the air, and I bite back the instinct to vomit. Spilled blood, on my hands, my fault, is covering the once pristine wood of the deck. I killed those men, and I let Isaac be a part of it. Gentle, innocent, little Isaac that I corrupted. It's all my fault, and I don't know why I feel so guilty. I didn't force him to beg to be on my ship. I didn't force him to sign away his free will and become a member of my crew. For some reason, his plea for me to help him twisted my heart, and now I feel responsible for him. Never before have I worried so much about the people around me. Besides Jasper, Alice, Emmett and Rosalie, I haven't let myself get close enough to someone to care about them. Because when you're a pirate, and people are dropping like flies, it hurts too much to care, because there will come a day when they'll be the newest causality and you have to face their death like it's your own. But now this frail, incredibly annoying little boy comes into my life and suddenly I'm worried about him. I worry that he'll be okay. I _care _about him. What the fuck is wrong with me?

Eventually, Alice sighs. "I told you something massive was going to happen. You didn't believe me." It's as if she knows something I don't, like maybe why Isaac has become so important in my eyes. She helps me up off the barrel and I make my way past my crew and into my room. Once alone, I strip down naked, and collapse onto my bed.

{~}

**BPOV**

I awake in a bed. For a fleeting moment, possibly because of my wishful thinking, I think I'm home, in _my _bed. The bed where I can be myself and sneak out of at night to go see my best friend out on the dock. But I'm not. The room is unfamiliar. The bed is big, and plush and so comfortable, I just want to burrow underneath the covers and lie in bed forever. The bed is center in the room, to the right there's a dresser with a mirror, and to the left there's a desk. The only light in the room is the millions of candles scattered over the surfaces, including the floor. It looks like they will be some sort of religious offering, where I am the sacrifice.

Just as I'm about to get up and find out where I am, the day's previous events come rushing back to me. The sword practicing with Alice, Edward looking increasingly handsome in the afternoon sunlight, the other boat, the fight, the man who tried to kill me, the man I _killed. _Oh God. I killed a man. It was so easy. The rush of power that overtook me was unreal, and it made me proud of proving to Edward that I could actually hold my own, that I wasn't some frail young boy who couldn't even hold a sword correctly. But then that power went away and I realized what I had done. I took a man away from this world. A man who had hopes and dreams and a family. A man who was a pirate like I was, and probably had spirit like I do. He was probably looking forward to going to sleep that night and being able to dream of something that made him happy. He was looking forward to next week, where they planned to port at a town nearby and he would get to see his wife. I am a monster. An utterly cruel monster. I am going to Hell.

Tears are streaming down my face before I know it. I'm in an unfamiliar room on a strange ship with a group of murderers who have no souls. And I am just like them. I deserve this punishment. I forced myself into the situation of having to conceal my identity, to exhaustingly act as someone I am not. And for what? A man who I had no previous knowledge of? I still don't even know if Edward is my pirate. But what are the chances? All I can remember is his bronze hair, and Edward probably just happens to have that. I am such a fool.

I'm about to get up when I realize I am not wearing my wrap around my chest. It's gone! Along with that, I am wearing a black cotton shirt and a pair of silk bed pants. Someone knows that I am a woman. Possibly everyone knows at this point. Edward is going to kill me. He's going to kill me for lying to him. Oh God.

I hear footsteps outside the door. They sound to be coming down the hall. I quickly pull my covers up to my chin and move one of the many pillows on the bed on top of me—to protect me from whoever is there. But I don't know why. If someone were to want to kill me, a pillow isn't going to stop them. The foot steps stop at the door. There's a light knock, but before I can answer, the door opens and a faintly familiar man comes in, a smile on his face when he sees me awake. The man has blonde hair, and is muscular but slender, much like most of the other men on the ship. He appears to be older, though. But he still is very handsome.

"I am glad to see you awake." He says. "You are quite the fighter."

I just look at him. He must know that I am a woman. However, he doesn't appear angry.

He sits at the end of the bed and looks me over. "You lost quite a lot of blood." I nod, so he continues. "You'll have some pain in your arm for a couple days. I stitched it up really well, so it should stay closed. As for your shock, it appears that you are doing much better." He smiles, blinding me with his perfect teeth.

"Shock?"

He nods, a serious look taking over his face. He must be the surgeon on board, however, I have never met him. "The fighting must have frightened you. You were overcome with shakes and mumbles. But with Edward's help, you calmed down some so I could give you some herbs to render you unconscious to calm you down."

We're quiet for a while. However, the quiet makes the guilt even more unbearable. "I killed someone." I whisper.

He seems shocked at first, but then he smiles. "What a tough one you are. You sure caught Edward by surprise."

"Does…does he know?"

He seems to know what I am talking about. There's a sympathetic twinkle in his eye. "He doesn't." I let out a sigh of relief. "Only Seth and I know."

I start. "Seth knows? Why does he know?" I sit up, straining the cut on my arm. I gasp in pain.

"My dear, calm down. It is okay. We won't tell anyone. We welcome you onto this ship wholeheartedly. Seth seems to understand where you are coming from. He is a little hurt, but I think he knows what made you do it."

"What about you?"

"Me? I admire your bravery."

I'm quiet for a while, thinking this over. If Seth knows that I am a woman, he may tell Embry. I could become vulnerable. The way Embry seems to treat women causes me to believe that I may be in danger. However, I trust Seth not to hurt me. I also trust this beautiful man not to hurt me either.

"Could I talk to him?"

The man nods. "Certainly. But you mustn't be afraid of Edward. He is not as bad as he seems. I have known him all his life. It takes awhile for him to accept others. If you are worried about him hurting you because you are a woman, I can assure you that would never happen."

After the man leaves, I am left alone in the room for only a couple minutes before Seth comes barging in. He gives me a goofy grin before sitting next to me on the bed. "It's good to see you upright and not screaming like a wild maniac." I flinch. _Was it really that bad?_ It's like he reads my mind because he says, "Yes, it was that bad. But Carlisle and I fixed you up real good. You're as good as new!" He grins at me again.

"You're not mad?"

His smile disappears. Seth watches me with his dark eyes. "Of course I am. You lied and we all believed you. I can't believe I didn't realize." He shakes his head.

"I'm sorry for lying. But I saw no other choice. I wanted to become a pirate."

Seth gives me a small smile. "I don't know why. This life isn't easy. But, I understand that. And I am glad you're not a man. I thought I was swinging the other way for a while there." He gives me a sheepish look.

I stare at him, confused. When he catches my expression, he bursts out laughing. And then I get it. "Wait. You're attracted to me?"

He blushes. _What? _"Well, yeah. You've just got this way about you." He shrugs.

I feel my skin heat up. Without my long hair, I thought it would be hard for any man to find me attractive. But Seth does.

"I'm glad you're feeling better. You had us all worried there for a while, Is—" He stops. "Hold on. Isaac isn't your real name, is it?"

I laugh. "No, it's Isabella."

He smiles, and I find myself smiling back. "That's a lovely name. Welcome aboard, Isabella. Don't worry. I'll keep your secret. You can count on me!"

There's a knock on the door. I hesitantly call, "Come in."

Edward timidly peers into the room. His hair is outrageously messy and he looks tired, with what seems like purple bruises under his eyes. My heart leaps at the sight of him. "Can I…can I talk to you alone?" He seems nervous. Why is Edward, the most fearless man I have ever met, nervous?

Seth leaps up and winks at me. "I'll see you later, Isaac."

Once my bunkmate disappears out of the room, Edward closes the door. He is wearing a white shirt and black britches. It's normal clothing, but it takes my breath away nevertheless.

Edward stays by the door. We watch each other for awhile, before he finally speaks. When he does, it's gentle and warm, so unlike the Edward I had first met. "I'm glad to see that you are doing better."

"Thank you."

He nods. Again, the room falls silent. It's an awkward silence, different than the silence we experienced last night while alone on the deck. I feel self-conscious as he's looking at me. It's like he sees right through me. He's reading me, understanding who I am. Carlisle told me that Edward had helped calm me down. I wonder what made him do that. I didn't know he was so soft. I like the nice Edward. I am beginning to believe that nice Edward is his true face.

The captain sighs. "I'm afraid you're going to have to leave the ship. We're turning back around and heading back to Forksville so you can get off."

My head spins. "What?"

Edward shakes his head, wringing his hands nervously. "I was right about you not being able to handle it. I shouldn't have let you on. It was a mistake."

I sit up more and pull the covers over my chest. He can't get rid of me so soon. I've barely had a chance to show him. "You cannot do that." I plead. He looks torn, absolutely distraught, like he's fighting with himself inside. He goes over to the desk, pulls out the chair, and sits on it backward, facing me. His beautiful green eyes stare at me, scrutinizing my face. They are so full of emotion, it hurts. This man is so beautiful. I trace the lines of his face with my eyes. The scrunch of his forehead and the little lines, the high cheekbones, the strong jaw line, all make little butterflies tingle in my stomach. I take extra car with his lips. What it would feel like to have them pressed against mine, would exceed any feeling in the entire world. This man is a dream. His lips are so full and pink, they are practically begging to be ravished with my mouth. I lick my lips and force myself to pull my eyes away from his enticing mouth. I have never felt this way before. My heart beats erratically in my chest. He makes me so nervous, yet so confident at the same time. The conflicting emotions are confusing me. "Let me stay." I whisper.

He acts like I don't say anything. His tan, calloused hands are clasped in front of him, barely within my reach. I could just lean over and take them in my own, bring them to my mouth and kiss them. Show him how much I care for him. I have not known him long, but I do care for him so much. If anything were to happen to him, it would tear me up inside. The silence in the room is almost palpable. I hope he cannot hear my thundering heart beat.

I vaguely remember the way Edward rocked me in his arms while I was shivering. The cloaked man had a hold of my head, and Edward pulled me out of his grasp and comforted me. His eyes were so full of kindness and concern. I focused on the way his body felt against mine, the way his arms held me tightly, and the way his chest vibrated when he spoke quietly to me, trying to get me to calm down. And I did. He shrouded me with calming energy. I felt safe in his arms.

But he doesn't know I am a woman. He thinks I am a boy named Isaac. A weak boy who doesn't know how to hold a sword. He has no idea the effects he has on me. All he has to do is look at me, and suddenly I am weak in the knees, willing to do anything he asks.

"I killed someone." I tell him.

He starts with surprise, raising his eyebrows, and I smirk. "You did?"

I don't answer. As much as I want to stay, and as much as I want to wrap myself in this man's arms, the prospect of going home does sound enticing. I miss Jacob and Angela, along with my family. I miss my bed and I miss being able to bathe in warm water. But this is my dream, and I can't give up now, not after everything. My father didn't raise me as a quitter.

"I don't know why I care for you." I hear him mumble. He rubs his head, making his hair even more disheveled and attractive. "I don't let myself care for people. It gets me in trouble. But for some reason I care for you. And I can't let you stay on the ship, Isaac." Edward's voice is so deep, and broken. It sends shivers down my spine. _He cares for me._

I ignore all my instincts to say, _yes, you're right. Please take me home. _Instead, I say, "I know you're wary, but I don't want to leave. Turning around will delay the voyage. I couldn't do that to everyone. Don't worry about me, Edward. I can take care of myself."

His eyes blaze with anger. "You can't take care of yourself!" He exclaims. "You were a mess earlier, and that is not the kind of thing I want on my ship. At this point, all you are is a damn burden."

_A burden? _My eyes burn with tears that threat to fall down my face. I am a burden, a nuisance. I cannot swing a sword. I cannot kill people. Life as a pirate is a complete nightmare, and I am stuck in the never ending cycle. I have had nightmares since I arrived on the ship. I have rarely ever gotten nightmares. In three days, I have already killed a man, cleaned out pans full of waste, and managed to accidently reveal my identity to two men. I am a burden. I can't do anything right. What made me think I could handle this?

He exhales, exhausted. "You're no help on this ship, and seeing you off will be the best decision I could make."

Anger spills through me, and I direct it at the beautiful man sitting before me. "I may be a burden but at least I'm not a murderer for sport like you!"

Edward frowns at me. "A murderer? This is my life! Someone gets in my way, I take care of them. This is all I have ever known and if I don't kill them, they will kill me. You are the one that decided to join a ship full of a bunch of _murderers. _So what does that make you?"

"A fool! A fool for believing that pirates are actually good people. That their lives are full of fun and adventure. But from meeting you I know that being a pirate is the worst possible thing someone could be! Because they would be like you! A filthy murderer!"

He leans back as if I pushed him. He looks absolutely livid. "Like you have something to say!" He spits. "You're a measly excuse for a man! You walk around, confident that you can do what the rest of us can. But you fucking can't, Isaac! You don't belong here. You. Don't. Belong. Here."

_You don't belong here, Isaac. You don't belong here. _My head spins with pain. He is right. I don't belong here. I'm a woman who's never had to do a thing in her life but look pretty. I'm not a pirate.

"Get out." My voice comes out low, and menacing-it catches him off guard.

"Excuse me?"

"Get out of here!" I shriek. He just stares at me with sad eyes. I can't stand to look at him, so I turn away, and burrow underneath the covers. I can hear him breathe. Edward stays there, sitting in the chair, for a long time, I don't know how long. The tears that wouldn't fall before now fall freely. The salty drops run down into my mouth, and I cough pathetically. When I close my eyes, all I see is the blood, and the insides of the man that I killed. I whimper. Edward is still there when I drift to sleep in the bleary mist of my weeps that I know he can hear. But I don't care. I killed a man and the man I am falling in love with doesn't want me around.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Sorry, sorry, sorry! I'm so incredibly sorry for not posting for so long. I have been so swamped and stressed with both high school and college classes, plus I haven't had any good ideas for this chapter. But now here it is! There's not a lot of action, but I had fun writing it, so enjoy**

I smile. "What do you mean?" Jacob leans over, pulls a handful of grass from the ground, and before I can duck, he lets it rain into my hair. He laughs. I shriek. "You are rotten!" The sun is high in the sky above us, but the delicate interwoven canopy of trees helps soften the blow of the summer rays. The woods are surprisingly cool for the weather, and the grassy ground is spotted with beautiful daisies that fill the air with their familiar aroma.

I shake the grass out of my hair while Jacob laughs. I punch him in the arm. "Ow, Bells." He rubs his bicep. I let myself fall back on to the grass. Spreading my arms out at my sides, I let the cool wispy plants soothe me, comfort me and envelop me in their gentle caresses. Jacob lies down too and nestles his arm over top of mine, sharing his warmth. We're quiet awhile, busy studying the branches above us and the sky beyond peaking out, teasing. Eventually, he breaks the silence of the serenity. "I mean," he pauses, "that I think you're not totally insane for wanting to go 'way. I understand. Sometimes life, especially here, gets too controlling and you just need a way to take a break from it all and just let yourself live the way you want to. Be free. I understand."

"You do?" I ask, surprised.

I feel him move, and when I open my eyes that I hadn't realized were closed, he's hovering over me, shielding my view from the blue sky. His breath falls on my face in cool waves. "I wish you wouldn't have left, Bells. Things here- they aren't good."

I stare into his big brown, familiar eyes. They're sad, almost destroyed. As if someone has broken his heart. "What are you talking about? I haven't left. I'm right here."

But he goes on as if I haven't spoken. "I miss you so much, Bella. I told you I loved you and then you just left. How could you do that to me?"

"Jacob," I push him back, "you're scaring me." His eyes flash wildly and suddenly he's pressing all of his weight onto my legs and pelvis, making me gasp as the air gets pushed out of me. "Jacob!" I push his chest back, but his firm body doesn't move. "Get off!" His weight is crushing my legs, and I fruitlessly try to thrash them free.

He hisses. "You know you love me the way I love you, Bella. Admit it."

I struggle under his weight, growing more and more panicked as Jacob changes into someone I do not know. Jacob would never hurt me. "Please get off of me!"

His eyes go soft, but his weight doesn't falter. "Oh, sweet Bella. Don't you know how ugly you are with short hair? Your hair was the only thing anyone liked about you. And now it's gone. But I still love you. I'll always love you Bella. We're meant to be together. Admit it."

I shriek and feel my head. My locks are short. Too short. What is going on? "Jacob. Get off of me!"

He grabs my arms and pins them over my head, crushing his body harder into mine and digging his fingers into the skin of my wrists, making them sting. I whimper. Jacob gets in my face and I can feel his hot, steely breath on my cheek. "Hush now, little one. You are mine now." He whispers. I recoil at his words.

This isn't my best friend.

He grabs my chin and pushes my face into the ground. Instead of the grass, it's a hot pile of excrement, and I choke on it as it seeps into my mouth from the pressure. Hot tears stream down my face as I cough on the awful lumpy substance that squishes into my mouth. Jacob keeps hold of my hands in one hand, keeping an elbow on my cheek to keep my head down, and he uses the other hand to roughly undo the front of my shirt. I spit out the excrement that keeps seeping into my mouth. No matter how hard I try, I can't keep my mouth closed.

He gets my shirt undone and he roughly gropes my chest with his rough hands. He pants hard.

I scream.

Just as I'm about to try thrashing around again, his weight on me disappears, and I lie on the ground, whimpering. Surely, he's standing up to undo his trousers. More tears flow down my cheeks, and I cough and spit out the vile substance still filling up my mouth because I cannot move my face away. I am stuck in the spot, my blouse torn open, cool air blowing on my bare chest. After several moments, when Jacob hasn't returned to hurt me, I open my eyes, fearful of what I might find.

All around me, an ocean stretches out as far as I can see. Somehow, my arms are now bound behind my back and the salty air assaults my senses. Lips chapped, I scream, my throat becoming more and more stripped the more I wail. Now I am bound to a pole at the highest point on a ship. As the wind blows, I close my burning eyes against the harsh air.

Once the wind stops, I open my eyes and scream again. A man, a dagger in hand, stands before me with a wispy smirk on his face. He's dressed in a black shirt and pants and he's got a red bandana tied around his head. Bronze locks of hair wildly spill over his forehead.

"Edward." I breathe his name. When I do, his eyes turn cold, and he raises the dagger. I shut my eyes as he brings the dagger down. But instead of feeling pain, all I feel is a hearty weight on my chest. I open my eyes to see blood spilling from in open wound in the center of my chest. My shirt is cut open and Edward stares at me blindly.

"You're a woman." It's an accusation. There's disgust in his eyes. I begin to cry in desperation.

"Please Edward. Please don't hurt me."

He gabs my face and squeezes hard, pinching my face together into a dramatic kissy face. "You disgust me. You are worthless." He growls. Edward raises the dagger again.

"No!" I scream again, and again. I plead with him, I cry, and I wail some more. But the dagger doesn't lower. "No! Please!"

Tears stream down my face when his dagger finally plunges into my chest. Sparks radiate through my chest, and my jaw falls slack. The last thing I see before my eyes fall closed, is the sinister smile on Edward's lips and the looming ocean behind him watching.

{~}

"Isabella! Bella!" I'm jolted awake, sweating and panting. Seth sits next to me on the bed, peering down at me with stricken eyes. He has my face in his calloused hands, where rough tears stream down them. He pulls me up into his chest and holds me tightly. "Shhh, don't cry." I shake in his arms, the aftereffects of the nightmare still clinging to the insides of my eyelids; the pressure in my chest from the dagger still weighing down on me. The candles that were lit before I fell asleep are now blown out, except for two on the bedside table. They flicker and dance, throwing menacing shadows across the walls. The walls are long planks of worn down wood. Unlike my room where the walls were white and immaculate. I miss my home so much. My miss my mother.

"Seth?" My voice is hoarse, and it comes out shaky. I can feel his strong chest against my side, and I melt into his warmth.

"Yes?" His chest vibrates through me, making me shiver.

"I had a bad dream."

He laughs and pulls his arms around me tighter, clasping them on the elbow of my left arm. My bandaged arm presses against his shirt. "No kidding. You 'bout woke the entire ship up with yer screams." I flinch. I don't usually scream when I am having bad dreams. Seth smells musky, like rum and potatoes.

I breathe him in and force myself to say, "Will you stay with me?" His breath hitches, and I feel him nod. Once I have calmed down, I maneuver back over to the pillow as Seth walks over to the door. My heart sinks. But instead of leaving, he pulls the latch over the door, locking it. My stomach rumbles with butterflies.

Seth walks over, flips off his boots, and lifts the covers. I scoot over so he can fit. The covers fall down on us and I hold my stomach as nerves swirl around. Never have I slept in the same bed as a man. I close my eyes as he settles into the mattress. But instead of the backs of my eyelids, I see Edward's snarling face and Jacob's rough hands. I whimper.

Seth sighs, and I grab his hand beneath the blankets.

"Come 'ere." My heart soars as he opens his arms. I snuggle into his chest.

Our breathing becomes in sync as we lie there, and eventually Seth's body becomes less tense as he filters into peaceful dreams.

{~}

**EPOV**

_That ungrateful son of a Biscuit Eater._ I took him in when he asked, gave him food and a place to sleep, and he repays me by calling me a filthy murderer. Okay, maybe I am. But he has no right to insult his captain. I might as well kill him. I should kill him. I shouldn't show him mercy and turn back around, compromise _my _ship just to spare his life. That is not what I stand for.

What kind of captain would I be if I showed him mercy? I'd be a joke. Tomorrow, he must die. I have wanted to be a respected captain my entire life, and I am not going to let some measly boy stand in my way. These men on _Éclipse _look up to me. They expect me to be their fearless leader, and I can't be a fearless leader if I am constantly worrying about whether that boy lives or dies. The fight yesterday didn't go as smoothly as I planned. I kept looking back to make sure he was okay. And for one moment I turn my back, a man lands a blow in my side. And now I have a fist-sized bruise to show for it. After that, I gave up worrying about Isaac. Worrying about myself is my foremost priority, next my crew. Isaac barely qualifies to be a member of it.

I pace my cabin, probably wearing a grove in the floor from pacing for so long. It's far past midnight, and the entire crew has gone silent, sleeping off the fatigue from the fight. Except for Emmett and Rosalie; I can hear them through the wall.

I sigh. I have deprived myself from women for the last few years to keep my mind on proving myself to my father. The pent up tension probably isn't very healthy, but what am I supposed to do? There aren't women out at sea, and when we port, I'm too busy with my duties to find a woman and take her to bed.

Rosalie and Emmett's moans vibrate through the wall. Really, we need thicker walls. Thankfully, Alice and Jasper's side is quiet.

I climb into bed after kicking off my shoes, and snuggle into the cool blankets. Somehow, Isaac will be killed tomorrow, and after that, I can move on with my life. It'll be the second time I've killed a crew member.

When I was younger, after my father took me to sea with him, I had a friend named Jack. He was a year older than me, but we were very close nevertheless. Jack didn't like Emmett or Jasper; he said they were too uptight. So we ran around together, and when Jack was busy, I hung out with Jasper and Emmett.

Anyway, it was a day in late June, the sun was high in the sky, and we had just pillaged a merchant ship the previous day, so everyone was pretty happy. I was maybe seven or eight. Jack was standing on the railing, holding onto a stray rope that hung down from a mast. The waves were rough that day, for the wind was pretty strong. Jack was swaying back and forth, his blue eyes alight with excitement.

"Ed, ya knows that yer father is gunnin' to make me cap'n when we're older." I didn't know. I knew that my father really liked Jack, because of how tough he was, but I hadn't suspected that my father would make him captain when he retired. I always thought that place would go to me. "Well he is. He too' me by the shoulda an' said 'son, you are gunna be my cap'n one day.' I said 'well why you wanna make me cap'n an' not your son?' and he said ''cause you got somethin' he don'.' I said 'what?' and he tapped me on the ches' and said 'you gots spirit.'" Jack's eyes were lit with such happiness when he told me what my father had told him, and I remember feeling angry at Jack for winning my father over. Since I had joined the ship with my father, I assumed the position would go to me, his son. But that day when Jack stood on the railing and crushed my dreams, I realized that maybe he was right. Maybe I didn't have spirit like Jack did.

Jack was my best friend. We shared a bunk, we did our chores together, and we ran around town, getting into trouble. We were this unstoppable force of childhood. He was like a brother to me. And to this day I still don't know why I did what I did. Some kind of force just overtook me and made me place my hands on his legs and push- push him overboard. The rope slipped out of his hands, and with a look of such betrayal, he fell into the ocean below, and never resurfaced.

I told everyone it was an accident. But really it wasn't. I killed my best friend just because my father liked him better than me. Twelve years later, my father made me captain, and I got what I had always wanted. But Jack's betrayed face as he fell over the side of the ship still haunts me, and every decision I make is because it's what he would have done.

Except Isaac. I let that weak little boy make me forget about Jack's philosophy. _Nothing is impossible._ I thought Isaac was unable to be like us, and so far I was right. But why would I give up? Jack wouldn't have given up on Isaac. But when Isaac called me a filthy murderer, he was right. I murdered my best friend. And now I'm about to murder this boy who only wants to be accepted, like me. I wanted my father to accept me as his son and make me captain. Being accepted in not impossible, I have proved that. So why am I making it be? Maybe I am the one in the wrong.

Just as I'm about to drift off to sleep, I hear screams- earsplitting screams that resonate from below me and vibrate the walls. My entire body shivers. The screams continue and then I can make out words through the shrieks.

"Please! Don't!"

It sounds like a woman, but Alice and Rosalie are both on the other side of my walls. Just as the screams started, they stop abruptly. I sit up, and listen.

Nothing. Silence.

I get out of bed and creep barefooted across my room. I open the door, and peek out. The deck is empty, like I expected it to be. The screams came from down below. I grab my dagger from my desk and tiptoe down towards the cabins.

Once I get to Carlisle's room, where the screams came from—I know this because his cabin is directly below mine—I wait outside of the door, and listen. It's quiet inside, besides a few sniffles. Isaac must have had some nightmares. His screams sound like a girl's. I chuckle. I'm about to knock on the door, when I hear the latch inside slide shut.

It's silent inside, the only sound the bed squeaking as someone lies on it.

I stand outside the room, making sure Isaac is okay, and his nightmares don't start up again and wake the entire ship. The ship creaks as it settles, rocking back and forth in its familiar rhythm. The ship is deathly quiet, until I hear the familiar voice within Carlisle's room. "Come 'ere."

It's Seth. Why is Seth in the room with Isaac? And why is he telling him to come to him? My head swims with questions as I retreat up to my cabin. Do Isaac and Seth like each other? I'm not against that sort of thing, however, I am surprised as all get out.

I fall asleep with the sound of Seth's 'come 'ere' ringing in my ears.

{~}

"The thing you need to remember, Isaac, is that you have to keep the ropes away from you, or else they'll snap tight so fast they'll have you sailing through the air and into the mast and you can't do nothing about it." Isaac's eyes, full of emotion, grow weary as he stretches his arms farther away from him as he grips the rope to the main mast. I'm teaching him how to raise and lower the sails. It takes strong muscle mass, and a dozen other men, but right now we're just getting the mechanics. The wind whips around us so quickly, my hair falls into my eyes and blinds be momentarily. "Then, when someone—it's usually Jasper but you never know—says 'haul' you tighten your 'ceps and pull. Each pull you get three seconds to recover. Someone will say 'haul' between each pull, so you don't get lost. 'Kay?"

He nods and we demonstrate the motions. His arms are scrawny, but hopefully we can buck them up.

Seth is sitting across the deck, taking a knife to a worn down rope. He's cutting it up so we can use it to light on fire in the winter months. When candles get low, we place the rope in the candle glasses and light them on fire instead of the usual wicks. It works great, about until we run out.

Each time I look over at Seth, I catch him looking at Isaac, and each time a small smirk betrays me. I know the secret they share between them, and I feel as if it's also my secret, unbeknownst to them.

It's about midday, and the deck is alight with its usual excitement. It will be the ship's maiden voyage to the Caribbean, and upon hearing that we aren't turning back, everyone is once again excited. I made a truce with Isaac this morning after I saw Seth leave the room. I told him we should just let bygones be bygones, and he hesitantly agreed. We both know the words that we exchanged are most likely unforgiveable, but I know Jack wouldn't want me to give up on him, no matter what.

"Maybe I should actually try to raise the sail, since you know, this pulling isn't doing much to practice."

I look at Isaac. His face is flushed red with exertion, and his hair is a wild mess atop his head. I shake my head. "You'd need a dozen more men to raise that sail."

His eyebrows knit together in a frown. "Fine. Then can I be done? I got the hang of it."

"Must you be so difficult?" I ask.

He smiles. "Yes. It's my nature."

"Fine. Go help Seth." He drops the rope and waltzes over to Seth. They exchange small smiles and I look away, afraid that I am invading a private moment.

Alice comes out from below deck and comes over to me, her face looking stricken. "What's the matter?" She hesitates, tears springing to her eyes. I grab her by the arm. "What happened?"

She chokes. "Riley is dead."

I step back. "What do you mean 'Riley is dead'?"

"I think he was murdered."

{~}

**BPOV**

I follow Seth, Edward and Alice down to the bottom deck, the living quarters. Seth walks with his arm pressed against mine, in comfort. When we reach the bottom deck, we find Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett standing around a bunk in the far corner. There's a shape slumped against the wall on the middle bunk. As we get closer, I notice the man's head is lulled to the side, his eyes wide open, but his chest unmoving.

I bite back a gasp.

Knife wounds cover his abdomen, and dark blood seeps out of them. His hands are clasped on his knees, which are cross in front of him, as if he was relaxing when someone walked up and decided to impale him with a dagger dozens of times. I'm reminded by the way Edward stabbed me in my dream and how I stabbed a man yesterday so easily, and I shiver. Seth moves closer to me.

When I woke this morning, all wrapped up in Seth's warm arms, I couldn't have been happier. It felt so nice to be cradled by a man and comforted by his soft embrace. For a few minutes I let myself believe that I could actually love Seth, since he knows who I am, and that he could be the pirate I have been pinning after from afar for ten years. But I knew that wasn't true. It was more likely that Edward could be that pirate, what with the way he makes me feel. Seth is a different kind of person than Edward. Where Edward is the harsh reality of sunlight, Seth is the peaceful surrender of darkness. But I don't want darkness; it reminds me so much of Jacob. I want light.

I want Edward.

Edward's head drops to his chest, and I see that he has closed his eyes. Obviously, the sight of seeing one of his crew members murdered is no easy thing, but it's even worse knowing that whoever did this is still on this ship.

I shiver again.

Jasper turns to Edward and vocalizes what we're all thinking. "We need to find out who did this."

Edward's head pops up and he nods. "Right. Call a crew meeting. Galleys, five minutes."

Edward stalks off. Emmett and Jasper unlatch the bed sheets and wrap the broken body of this boy I never knew and never will know up in it until he is completely covered. They heft him onto their shoulders, and disappear where Edward did seconds ago.

There are men lying around on almost each and every cot. They're staring on with sad, confused eyes. These men are a band of brothers, and it's not easy for them to see one of them killed at the hands of another.

{~}

"Really, no one saw who did this?" Edward demands. Every single crew member is packed into the large dining room. We line the tables and the walls, we sit atop the tables and on the floor. Edward stands atop the food counter, looking perfectly rumpled and authoritative. I shiver with lust.

There's a unanimous shaking of heads and murmurs of nos. Seth sits next to me on a bench in the front, closest to Edward.

The captain runs a hand through his hair and audibly sighs. When he came to me this morning and asked to burry the hatchet, I couldn't have been more surprised. The way we so rudely spoke to each other last night was anything but forgiving. But something obviously cooled him down. Every time I look at him, I'm reminded of the way his eyes glinted with anger in my dream when he discovered that I am a woman. I push the fearful shivers away that run up my spine.

Against my better judgment, I grab Seth's hand under the table and he sits up straighter and coughs.

"A man is dead. Someone on this ship killed him. I want to know who did it right now!" Edward roars. I sit back at his sudden change in demeanor. Never have I seen Edward this mad before, even when it has been directed at me. He begins pacing the small counter—which can't be more than a few steps—and chewing on his thumbnail. He seems almost vulnerable, afraid. The light from the small porthole shines onto him, illuminating his golden hair and making it appear almost Ethereal. At home, in our little small church, there was a picture on the wall of Jesus Christ. His hands were upraised in praise as he stood in a field. Light erupted all around him, framing his body in beautiful light. The scene reminds me of Edward now, standing on the counter. The light is making a halo around him. He is so beautiful.

No one speaks, we're all too taken aback by Edward's behavior. Or maybe that's just me and he usually acts like this. Maybe no one knows what to say.

"Am I talking to a rock?" Edward exclaims, throwing his hands up. "Who the hell did this?"

Edward's anger is erupting into dangerous territory now, and he appears to be mere seconds away from busting a blood vessel.

I stand up and tug on his pant's leg. He looks down at me angrily. "Get down from there." He shakes his head and looks at me incredulously. "Come on, come down. Let me talk to them."

"I am the captain."

"I don't care if you're the captain," I say. "Get down."

Eventually, after much more pleading, he climbs down from the counter. I take his place. "Hello there." I look out over the crowd of men staring up at me. Such a rag-tag bunch of filthy men with scruffy faces and dirty clothes. They are all staring at me, confused. I fidget under their careful gaze. Now's the time to prove myself, yet my self-consciousness may paralyze me from saying anything more. I test out my voice. "My name is Isaac. I'm new." Seth gives me a confident smile from the front row, and I trudge on. "Someone was murdered," I say. I cringe inside. _Of course they know that, crazy. _"I didn't know him. But now I never will."

They all look at one another. Apparently, they are not accustomed to such an unorthodox way of handling things. They start murmuring to each other under their breaths and suddenly the entire room erupts into annoyed chatter. "Hey-! Be quiet!" I demand. Still, everyone is growing impatient, and they chat to one another.

Edward stands from where he had taken my place and he whistles between his teeth. "Shut up!"

Everyone quiets. I shoot Edward a grateful look, and he nods and sits back down. Now that the room is quiet, I notice my nervous heartbeat.

"Do you guys know how close you are to one another?" Everyone looks at each other. I continue. "Seriously, you guys live with one another every single day, for most of your lives. You bathe together, you eat together, you sleep together. You men are the closest thing there is to a family."

Everyone starts to murmur. A hear a man shout from the crowd. "So what?"

"So what?" I repeat. "So what? You men are family. Brothers. You steal from other ships and you fight other pirates. It's no easy job, but you men do it just as easily as if you were breathing." There's a unanimous murmur of agreement. I look to Edward, and his eyes are shining with admiration. My heart soars, and I continue. "Now a man is dead. One of your brothers killed another brother. How does that feel?"

"Fuckin' shitty!" Someone yells.

"It's fuckin' shitty!" I repeat, ignoring the little voice in my head of my mother gasping. I've run away from home, killed a man and slept in the same bed as a man who is not my husband; I am long away from redemption. "Don't you want to know who did it? Who took away one of your brothers so easily, with just a flick of the knife?" It was hardly only a flick, but saying 'with just the dozen plunges of a dagger' doesn't sound as good.

Everyone gets riled up. They want to know who killed the man named Riley. They want to avenge their brother.

"If anyone knows anything, please come to me immediately. We will avenge Riley. He shouldn't be murdered and not given justice."

"Yeah!" The crowd erupts in into chaos as everyone jumps up and starts pushing each other. Everyone seems to be suspicious of everyone. _Uh-oh._

Edward seems panicked. "Look what you've done. They've gone insane!"

There's no space in the room for a fight. Someone will get trampled.

"Hey!" My shouts are futile.

Seth hops up onto the counter next to me, outstretches his arms, and says, "What the hell are you doing? You men are brothers! Brothers don't push. Did you not listen to a thing Bella just said?"

I freeze at the mention of my real name. My stomach rolls up into a ball and dies. I look around, but no one heard a word that he said. Seth must also realize, because he looks at me with stricken eyes. I watch over the crowd, but even Edward wasn't listening. I sigh. That was too close.

{~}

Finally, Edward, Jasper and Emmett were able to get the crowd to calm down, with threats of no eating for two weeks. Everyone retreated to their cabins below, too worn out to socialize up on deck. Seth stayed with me in the galleys when I told him I was going to look for something to eat. The pep talk I had just given had worn me out.

It's only me and him. We haven't said a word to each other. I find an apple and eat it with powerful crunches that make my gums hurt.

I break the silence. "You got to be more careful."

He deflates. "I'm so sorry. It was a slip. Complete accident." His dark eyes are pleading. I nod. I forgive him. It was an accident. We're silent awhile, just listening to the water hit up against the side of the boat. "Are you okay? I didn't get a chance to ask you this morning."

I nod again. With Seth holding me all night long, I didn't have any more nightmares. I felt safe. "Yeah. Thank you for staying with me."

"Of course."

We fall silent again. Before long, Seth's friends Embry and Sam sit down around us, chatting wildly.

"..Said Riley was asking for it. Don't know why. No one knows who did it. One minute he was sitting on his bed, next they know he was dead."

"Are you talking about Riley?" I ask.

Embry looks at me. "Yeah. No one saw it happen. Like, no one. I was down there myself. Didn't hear a thing."

I shiver. "So who are we suspecting?"

Sam says, "That's the thing. Everyone seems innocent. There's no one to suspect."

I shiver again, and Seth eyes me from across the table. "Do you think he'll come forward?"

"Hell no," Embry says, "If we brothers are one thing, it's stubborn. No way is a murderer going to be left alive on Edward's ship. He's doomed and likely he knows it."

"I just don't understand why someone would kill someone, just because."

Sam says, "I can understand that. Living with someone you don't like every single day can take a lot out of someone. Guess he just snapped."

I think of Edward, and how he doesn't like me. I shiver as I am reminded of my dream. Would Edward just snap one day?

"What if it happens again?" I murmur.

Seth sighs. "I'm sure it was a one time thing. Really, it doesn't happen as much as you would think—people dying. Only one other time."

"What happened?"

Embry says, "Ten years ago, while Edward's dad was captain, a boy named Jack fell off the side of the ship. Just randomly. He didn't come back up. Poor fellow drowned. Edward was with him—they were best friends, but nobody suspected that he did it. Said it was an accident. That's the only other time someone has died on this ship not at the hands of the enemy or disease."

Once again, I shiver as a rush goes up my spine. Edward watched his best friend fall off the side of the ship and drown? Maybe that's why he's so pulled away from everything. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to see Angela or Jacob die right in front of me, and I couldn't do anything about it. It seems absolutely awful.

I finish my apple off, and when I do, a noise makes me look toward the entryway to the galleys. A man, Aro, stands, his hands clasped behind his back, and a wicked smirk on his face. He's covered mostly in shadow, and no one else notices him. But he looks at me with a look of such evil, bumps rise on my skin, and my hands shake.

He retreats back in to the shadows.


End file.
